scholarly journals Antifungal Susceptibility Testing: Practical Aspects and Current Challenges

2001 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 643-658 ◽  
Author(s):  
John H. Rex ◽  
Michael A. Pfaller ◽  
Thomas J. Walsh ◽  
Vishnu Chaturvedi ◽  
Ana Espinel-Ingroff ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amphotericin B ◽  
Susceptibility Testing ◽  
Antifungal Susceptibility ◽  
Antifungal Susceptibility Testing ◽  
Testing Methods ◽  
Clinical Value ◽  
Candida Spp ◽  
Testing Procedures ◽  
Reference Methods ◽  
Interlaboratory Reproducibility

SUMMARY Development of standardized antifungal susceptibility testing methods has been the focus of intensive research for the last 15 years. Reference methods for yeasts (NCCLS M27-A) and molds (M38-P) are now available. The development of these methods provides researchers not only with standardized methods for testing but also with an understanding of the variables that affect interlaboratory reproducibility. With this knowledge, we have now moved into the phase of (i) demonstrating the clinical value (or lack thereof) of standardized methods, (ii) developing modifications to these reference methods that address specific problems, and (iii) developing reliable commercial test kits. Clinically relevant testing is now available for selected fungi and drugs: Candida spp. against fluconazole, itraconazole, flucytosine, and (perhaps) amphotericin B; Cryptococcus neoformans against (perhaps) fluconazole and amphotericin B; and Aspergillus spp. against (perhaps) itraconazole. Expanding the range of useful testing procedures is the current focus of research in this area.

Use of spectrophotometric reading for in vitro antifungal susceptibility testing ofAspergillusspp.

1999 ◽  
Vol 45 (10) ◽  
pp. 871-874 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Dannaoui ◽  
Florence Persat ◽  
Marie-France Monier ◽  
Elisabeth Borel ◽  
Marie-Antoinette Piens ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amphotericin B ◽  
Susceptibility Testing ◽  
Clinical Laboratory ◽  
Antifungal Susceptibility ◽  
Reference Method ◽  
Antifungal Susceptibility Testing ◽  
Aspergillus Species ◽  
National Committee ◽  
Broth Microdilution Method

A comparative study of visual and spectrophotometric MIC endpoint determinations for antifungal susceptibility testing of Aspergillus species was performed. A broth microdilution method adapted from the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) was used for susceptibility testing of 180 clinical isolates of Aspergillus species against amphotericin B and itraconazole. MICs were determined visually and spectrophotometrically at 490 nm after 24, 48, and 72h of incubation, and MIC pairs were compared. The agreement between the two methods was 99% for amphotericin B and ranged from 95 to 98% for itraconazole. It is concluded that spectrophotometric MIC endpoint determination is a valuable alternative to the visual reference method for susceptibility testing of Aspergillus species.Key words: antifungal, susceptibility testing, Aspergillus, spectrophotometric reading.

scholarly journals Flow Cytometry Antifungal Susceptibility Testing of Pathogenic Yeasts other than Candida albicans and Comparison with the NCCLS Broth Microdilution Test

2000 ◽  
Vol 44 (10) ◽  
pp. 2752-2758 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rama Ramani ◽  
Vishnu Chaturvedi
Keyword(s):  
Flow Cytometry ◽  
Candida Albicans ◽  
Amphotericin B ◽  
Susceptibility Testing ◽  
Antifungal Susceptibility ◽  
Antifungal Susceptibility Testing ◽  
Broth Microdilution ◽  
Nitrogen Base ◽  
Microdilution Method ◽  
Broth Microdilution Method

ABSTRACT Candida species other than Candida albicansfrequently cause nosocomial infections in immunocompromised patients. Some of these pathogens have either variable susceptibility patterns or intrinsic resistance against common azoles. The availability of a rapid and reproducible susceptibility-testing method is likely to help in the selection of an appropriate regimen for therapy. A flow cytometry (FC) method was used in the present study for susceptibility testing ofCandida glabrata, Candida guilliermondii,Candida krusei, Candida lusitaniae,Candida parapsilosis, Candida tropicalis, andCryptococcus neoformans based on accumulation of the DNA binding dye propidium iodide (PI). The results were compared with MIC results obtained for amphotericin B and fluconazole using the NCCLS broth microdilution method (M27-A). For FC, the yeast inoculum was prepared spectrophotometrically, the drugs were diluted in either RPMI 1640 or yeast nitrogen base containing 1% dextrose, and yeast samples and drug dilutions were incubated with amphotericin B and fluconazole, respectively, for 4 to 6 h. Sodium deoxycholate and PI were added at the end of incubation, and fluorescence was measured with a FACScan flow cytometer (Becton Dickinson). The lowest drug concentration that showed a 50% increase in mean channel fluorescence compared to that of the growth control was designated the MIC. All tests were repeated once. The MICs obtained by FC for all yeast isolates except C. lusitaniae were in very good agreement (within 1 dilution) of the results of the NCCLS broth microdilution method. Paired ttest values were not statistically significant (P = 0.377 for amphotericin B; P = 0.383 for fluconazole). Exceptionally, C. lusitaniae isolates showed higher MICs (2 dilutions or more) than in the corresponding NCCLS broth microdilution method for amphotericin B. Overall, FC antifungal susceptibility testing provided rapid, reproducible results that were statistically comparable to those obtained with the NCCLS method.

Etest ECVs/ECOFFs for detection of resistance in prevalent and three non-prevalent Candida spp. to triazoles and amphotericin B and Aspergillus spp. to caspofungin: Further assessment of modal variability

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Espinel-Ingroff ◽  
M. Sasso ◽  
J. Turnidge ◽  
M. Arendrup ◽  
F. Botterel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amphotericin B ◽  
Susceptibility Testing ◽  
Clinical Laboratory ◽  
Antifungal Susceptibility ◽  
Point Mutations ◽  
Fungal Species ◽  
Candida Spp ◽  
Pichia Kudriavzevii ◽  
Routine Testing ◽  
Data Points

Susceptibility testing is an important tool in the clinical setting; its utility is based on the availability of categorical endpoints, breakpoints (BPs) or epidemiological cutoff values (ECVs/ECOFFs). CLSI and EUCAST have developed antifungal susceptibility testing, BPs and ECVs for some fungal species. Although the Concentration Gradient Strip BioMerieux Etest is useful for routine testing in the clinical laboratory, ECVs are not available for all agent/species; the lack of clinical data precludes development of BPs. We re-evaluated and consolidated Etest data points from three previous studies, and included new data. We defined ECOFFinder Etest ECVs for three sets of species/agent combinations: fluconazole, posaconazole and voriconazole and 8 Candida spp.; amphotericin B and 3 non-prevalent Candida spp.; and caspofungin and 5 Aspergillus spp. The total of Etest MICs from 23 laboratories (Europe, the Americas, South Africa) included (antifungal agent/dependent): 17,242 Candida albicans , 244 C. dubliniensis , 5,129 C. glabrata species complex (SC), 275 C. guilliermondii ( Meyerozyma guilliermondii ), 1,133 C. krusei ( Pichia kudriavzevii ), 933 C. kefyr ( Kluyveromyces marxianus ), 519 C. lusitaniae ( Clavispora lusitaniae ), 2,947 C. parapsilosis SC, 2,214 C. tropicalis , 3,212 Aspergillus fumigatus , 232 A. flavus , 181 A. niger , and 267 A. terreus SC isolates. Triazole MICs for 66 confirmed non-wild-type (non-WT) Candida isolates were available ( ERG11 point mutations). Distributions fulfilling CLSI ECV criteria were pooled and ECOFFinder Etest ECVs were established for triazoles (9 Candida spp.); amphotericin B (3 less-prevalent Candida spp.) and caspofungin (4 Aspergillus spp.). Etest fluconazole ECVs could be good detectors of Candida non-WT isolates (59/61 Non-WT: 4 of 6 species).

scholarly journals Antifungal susceptibility testing.

1993 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 367-381 ◽  
Author(s):  
J H Rex ◽  
M A Pfaller ◽  
M G Rinaldi ◽  
A Polak ◽  
J N Galgiani
Keyword(s):  
Susceptibility Testing ◽  
Incubation Temperature ◽  
Clinical Laboratory ◽  
Antifungal Susceptibility ◽  
Inoculum Size ◽  
Antifungal Susceptibility Testing ◽  
National Committee ◽  
Candida Spp ◽  
Interlaboratory Variability ◽  
Future Work

Unlike antibacterial susceptibility testing, reliable antifungal susceptibility testing is still largely in its infancy. Many methods have been described, but they produce widely discrepant results unless such factors as pH, inoculum size, medium formulation, incubation time, and incubation temperature are carefully controlled. Even when laboratories agree upon a common method, interlaboratory agreement may be poor. As a result of numerous collaborative projects carried out both independently and under the aegis of the Subcommittee on Antifungal Susceptibility Testing of the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards, the effects of varying these factors have been extensively studied and a standard method which minimizes interlaboratory variability during the testing of Candida spp. and Cryptococcus neoformans has been proposed. This review summarizes this work, reviews the strengths and weaknesses of the proposed susceptibility testing standard, and identifies directions for future work.

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