The Journal of Medical Microbiology, Vol 41, Issue 2 98-105, Copyright © 1994 by Society for General Microbiology
Rapid characterisation of Candida albicans by pyrolysis mass spectrometry
G. C. White, P. R. Sisson, R. Freeman and B. D. Cookson
Laboratory of Hospital Infection, Central Public Health Laboratory, London.
Clinical isolates (41) of Candida spp. from three possible outbreaks of
nosocomially-acquired infection were compared by pyrolysis mass
spectrometry (PMS) and by a combined morphotyping and resistotyping (M-R
typing) method. Both systems characterised all the isolates and
distinguished one isolate of C. tropicalis and another of C. glabrata from
the 39 isolates of C. albicans. Results from both systems suggested that
cross-infection with a single strain contributed to two of the outbreaks.
In several instances, more than one strain of C. albicans was found amongst
multiple isolates from the same patient. PMS is a simple, rapid and
objective technique capable of characterising C. albicans isolates;
discrimination was similar to M-R typing.
