Application and Perspectives of MALDI–TOF Mass Spectrometry in Clinical Microbiology Laboratories

Abstract

Early diagnosis of severe infections requires of a rapid and reliable diagnosis to initiate appropriate treatment, while avoiding unnecessary antimicrobial use and reducing associated morbidities and healthcare costs. It is a fact that conventional methods usually require more than 24–48 h to culture and profile bacterial species. Mass spectrometry (MS) is an analytical technique that has emerged as a powerful tool in clinical microbiology for identifying peptides and proteins, which makes it a promising tool for microbial identification. Matrix assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight MS (MALDI–TOF MS) offers a cost- and time-effective alternative to conventional methods, such as bacterial culture and even 16S rRNA gene sequencing, for identifying viruses, bacteria and fungi and detecting virulence factors and mechanisms of resistance. This review provides an overview of the potential applications and perspectives of MS in clinical microbiology laboratories and proposes its use as a first-line method for microbial identification and diagnosis.

Lactobacilli Infection Case Reports in the Last Three Years and Safety Implications

“…Consequently, it is not possible to attribute with certainty those cases to lactobacilli also because a strictly related bacterium, Eggerthia catenaformis , considered to belong to the old genus Lactobacillus until 2011, is capable of causing infections [ 76 , 77 , 78 , 79 ] and can be confused with lactobacilli at the phenotypic level [ 80 ]. The studies that reported identification to the species level without reference to the identification method ( Table 1 ) probably used standardized colorimetric tests or MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, largely applied in clinical laboratories [ 81 ].…”

First Report of a Case of Ocular Infection Caused by Purpureocillium lilacinum in Poland

“…The application of MALDI-TOF MS in microbiological diagnostics significantly shortens the time needed for pathogenic bacteria or fungal identification [ 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 ]. Nevertheless, much care is needed with sample preparation to overcome identification failures.…”

Total Laboratory Automation for Rapid Detection and Identification of Microorganisms and Their Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles

“…Before the TLA era, the development of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) for the identification of bacteria, mycobacteria, yeasts, and molds has fundamentally replaced the well-established conventional diagnostic methods for identifying microorganisms, which were based essentially on biochemistry testing. In comparison with the conventional phenotype methods or molecular assays used in the identification of microorganisms, MALDI-TOF/MS has several advantages which can be summarized in three points: rapid turnaround time, low specimen volume requirements, and moderate reagent costs (Cherkaoui et al, 2010;Cherkaoui et al, 2011;Gaillot et al, 2011;Kaleta et al, 2011;Tan et al, 2012;Barberis et al, 2014;Verroken et al, 2016;Faron et al, 2017;Chen et al, 2021;Torres-Sangiao et al, 2021). Accurate and rapid identification of microorganisms using MALDI-TOF/MS helped to quickly support treatment decisions, especially when the infecting pathogen was unexpected.…”