Identificación de hongos filamentosos y levaduras de interés clínico mediante espectrometría de masas MALDI -TOF

Abstract

Clinically relevant fungi account for approximately 0,04% of the fungal species described so far. However, fungal infections –associated with high morbidity and mortality– have increased in recent decades mainly due to advances in medicine and new therapies, that improve the survival of immunosuppressed patients, who are particularly prone to infections by these microorganisms. Moreover, the emergence of newspecies with reduced susceptibility to the treatments of choice has highlighted the importance of using fast, precise, and reliable tools for the identification of fungi. The identification of the causative agents of these infections is usually carried out using conventional methods (macroscopic and microscopic) for which qualified personnel is needed, or molecular techniques (PCR and sequencing) that are expensive and delay the final results. Therefore, it is necessary to implement rapid techniques in the Microbiology laboratory to advance in the diagnosis and to initiate an optimal treatment promptly...