Comparison of rapid testing methods for enzyme production with the germ tube method for presumptive identification of Candida albicans.

Candida albicans is often isolated from clinical samples, thus its presumptive differentiation from other species of the same genus can be based on its ability to form the germ tube in human serum. Nevertheless, there are two other species that share this characteristic: C. dubliniensis and C. africana. The aim of this study was to compare four different substrates to perform the germ tube (GT) test. The Candida spp. isolates were identified using a manual system (135 C. albicans, 24 C. tropicalis and one C. dubliniensis). The germ tube test was performed with fresh, previously frozen serum and Mueller-Hinton (MH) broth and agar. GT was observed in 96% (130/136) of the isolates through the fresh serum technique, 94% (128/136) through previously frozen serum, 92% (125/136) in MH agar, and 90% (122/136) in MH broth. The sensitivity of each test was higher than 90%, with 100% specificity. Both the MH agar and broth were able to identify the true positives, and false positives were not found. However, some C. albicans isolates were not identified. MH agar and broth may be used in laboratory for the rapid presumptive identification of C. albicans, as an alternative method for germ tube test.

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Comparison of the MUREX C. albicans, Albicans-Sure, and BactiCard Candida test kits with the germ tube test for presumptive identification of Candida albicans.

Journal of Clinical Microbiology ◽

10.1128/jcm.34.10.2616-2618.1996 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 34 (10) ◽

pp. 2616-2618 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

A E Crist ◽

T J Dietz ◽

K Kampschroer

Keyword(s):

Candida Albicans ◽

Germ Tube ◽

Tube Test ◽

Presumptive Identification

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Performance of BacticardTM Candida compared with the germ tube test for the presumptive identification of Candida albicans

Mycoses ◽

10.1046/j.0933-7407.2003.00921.x ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 46 (11-12) ◽

pp. 467-470 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

A. J. Carrillo-Muñoz ◽

G. Quindós ◽

C. D. Cárdenes ◽

R. Alonso-Vargas ◽

S. Brió ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Candida Albicans ◽

Germ Tube ◽

Tube Test ◽

Presumptive Identification

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Chromogenic Tube Test for Presumptive Identification or Confirmation of Isolates as Candida albicans

Journal of Clinical Microbiology ◽

10.1128/jcm.36.4.1157-1159.1998 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 36 (4) ◽

pp. 1157-1159 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

John Merlino ◽

Evanthia Tambosis ◽

Duncan Veal

Keyword(s):

Candida Albicans ◽

Sensitivity And Specificity ◽

False Positive ◽

Germ Tube ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Tube Test ◽

Cost Effective Method ◽

Presumptive Identification ◽

Positive Results ◽

Better Than

This report describes a new, modified, simple, and cost-effective method for the use of CHROMagar Candida (CHROMagar Company, Paris, France) for the presumptive identification of isolates as Candida albicans after preliminary growth. Sixty randomly selected clinical isolates were evaluated, including 38 of C. albicans. With incubation at 37°C for 24 h, the sensitivity and specificity appeared to be excellent and the test performed better than the traditional germ tube test. However, at earlier times, C. tropicalis isolates gave false-positive results.

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