SUMMARY Within the past decade, clinical microbiology laboratories experienced revolutionary changes in the way in which microorganisms are identified, moving away from slow, traditional microbial identification algorithms toward rapid molecular methods and mass spectrometry (MS). Historically, MS was clinically utilized as a high-complexity method adapted for protein-centered analysis of samples in chemistry and hematology laboratories. Today, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight (MALDI-TOF) MS is adapted for use in microbiology laboratories, where it serves as a paradigm-shifting, rapid, and robust method for accurate microbial identification. Multiple instrument platforms, marketed by well-established manufacturers, are beginning to displace automated phenotypic identification instruments and in some cases genetic sequence-based identification practices. This review summarizes the current position of MALDI-TOF MS in clinical research and in diagnostic clinical microbiology laboratories and serves as a primer to examine the “nuts and bolts” of MALDI-TOF MS, highlighting research associated with sample preparation, spectral analysis, and accuracy. Currently available MALDI-TOF MS hardware and software platforms that support the use of MALDI-TOF with direct and precultured specimens and integration of the technology into the laboratory workflow are also discussed. Finally, this review closes with a prospective view of the future of MALDI-TOF MS in the clinical microbiology laboratory to accelerate diagnosis and microbial identification to improve patient care.

Sepsis is among the top 10 causes of mortality in the United States. Rapid administration of antibiotics is one of the most important contributors to patient survival, yet only a limited number of methods exist for rapid identification of microbes cultivated from bloodstream infections, which can lead to sepsis. While traditional single-target molecular methods have been shown to greatly improve survival for septic patients by enabling rapid deescalation of broad-spectrum antibiotics, multiplex methods offer even greater possibilities. A novel multiplex method, PCR coupled to electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (PCR/ESI-MS), was used to identify the genus and species of microorganisms found to cause human bloodstream infections. DNA was directly extracted from 234 BacT-Alert blood culture bottles, and results were compared to those obtained by clinical reference standard methods. The study results demonstrated 98.7% and 96.6% concordance at the genus and species levels, respectively. Mixtures of microbes were identified in 29 blood culture bottles, including mixed species of the same genus, as well as mixtures containing Gram-positive and Gram-negative organisms, exemplifying the PCR/ESI-MS capability to identify multiple organisms simultaneously without the need for cultivation. This study demonstrates high analytical accuracy in comparison to routine subculture of blood culture bottles and phenotypic identification of microbes. Without foreknowledge of the microorganisms potentially present, the PCR/ESI-MS methods can deliver accurate results in as little as 5 to 6 h after a positive alarm from the automated blood culture system; however, current batch mode testing limits the method's clinical utility at this time.The ability to rapidly identify the causative agent of bloodstream infections (BSIs) is of paramount importance to clinical microbiology laboratories. Rapid identification significantly reduces the rates of patient mortality, reduces the use of unnecessary antibiotics, and lowers costs to the hospital (6,7,15). If untreated, BSIs can lead to sepsis or progress to severe sepsis, with one or more organ dysfunctions, which can ultimately result in septic shock and/or death.Death due to septic shock is currently the 10th leading cause of mortality in the United States (28). More notably, the rate of sepsis-related death is on the rise. In 2000, sepsis was ranked as the 13th leading cause of death (5), symbolizing a 139% increase in incidence over a 10-year period (8). It is estimated that approximately 215,000 deaths per year are sepsis related, and the costs associated with sepsis are exceedingly high, approximately $17 billion each year and rising, due to the length of hospital stay required (1).It is estimated that the survival increases by 7 to 10% for every hour of earlier administration of targeted antibiotics (34). Ideally, bacteria in the bloodstream should be identified as quickly as possible in order to administer the most appropriate antibiotics, as opposed to use of broad-spectrum antib...

BACKGROUND Emerging technologies for rapid identification of microbes demonstrate a shift from traditional biochemical and molecular testing algorithms toward methods using mass spectrometry (MS) for the semiquantitative analysis of microbial proteins and genetic elements. This study was performed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of 2 such technologies, PCR–electrospray ionization (ESI)/MS and MALDI-TOF/MS, with respect to phenotypic and biochemical profiling as a reference standard method. A positive challenge set of blood culture bottles was used to compare PCR-ESI/MS and MALDI-TOF/MS performance on a matched set of samples. METHODS We performed characterization of bloodstream infections from blood cultures using the Ibis T5000 PCR-ESI/MS and the Bruker MALDI Biotyper 2.0 (MALDI-TOF/MS) platforms for microbial identification. Diagnostic accuracy was determined by independent comparison of each method to phenotypic and biochemical characterization with Vitek2 analysis as the reference standard identification. RESULTS The diagnostic accuracy, represented as positive agreement, at the genus level was 0.965 (0.930–0.984) for PCR-ESI/MS and 0.969 (0.935–0.987) for MALDI-TOF/MS, and at the species level was 0.952 (0.912–0.974) with PCR-ESI/MS and 0.943 (0.902–0.968) for MALDI-TOF/MS. No statistically significant difference was found between PCR-ESI/MS and MALDI-TOF/MS in the ability to rapidly identify microorganisms isolated from blood culture. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate that PCR-ESI/MS and MALDI-TOF/MS are equivalent in their ability to characterize bloodstream infections with respect to the reference standard, and highlight key differences in the methods that allow for each method to have a unique niche as a tool for rapid identification of microbes in blood cultures.

During the past 20 years, microbial detection methods that are genetically based, such as real-time PCR and peptide nucleic acid fluorescent hybridization, coexisted with traditional microbiological methods and were typically based on the identification of individual genetic targets. For these methods to be successful, a potential cause of infection must be suspected. More recently, multiplex PCR and multiplex RT-PCR were used to enable more broad-range testing based on panels of suspected pathogens. PCR-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (PCR-ESI/MS) has emerged as a technology that is capable of identifying nearly all known human pathogens either from microbial isolates or directly from clinical specimens. Assay primers are strategically designed to target one or more of the broad pathogen categories: bacterial, mycobacterial, fungal, or viral. With broad-range amplification followed by detection of mixed amplicons, the method can identify genetic evidence of known and unknown pathogens. This unique approach supports a higher form of inquiry, asking the following question: What is the genetic evidence of known or unknown pathogens in the patient sample? This approach has advantages over traditional assays that commonly target the presence or absence of one or more pathogens with known genetic composition. This review considers the breadth of the published literature and explores the possibilities, advantages, and limitations for implementation of PCR-ESI/MS in diagnostic laboratories.

A novel LC-MS-MS assay that simultaneously detects and quantitates 78 drugs and metabolites was developed and validated for chronic pain management. Urine specimen was diluted and mixed with internal standards (ISs) before injected into LC-MS-MS. Seventy-two analytes were detected with positive electrospray ionization mode and the remaining six analytes with negative mode. Two separate gradient elution chromatographic programs were established with the same mobile phases on the same bi-phenyl HPLC column. The assay was linear for all analytes with linear regression coefficient ranging 0.994-1.000. The intra-assay precision was between 1.7 and 8.8% and inter-assay precision between 1.9 and 12.2%, with bias <20% for all but six analytes. All analytes in urine specimens were stable for 7 days at 4°C, and no significant matrix effect or carryover was observed. A suboptimal recovery rate (60.0-156.8%) was observed for six analytes, potentially due to the lack of available deuterated ISs, requiring comparison to a chemically different IS. Method comparison using patient and proficiency testing samples demonstrated that this assay was sensitive and accurate. The assay improves on currently existing assays by including glucuronide conjugates, allowing direct detection of metabolites that might otherwise be missed by existing methods.