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Comparison of API20C with molecular identification of Candida spp isolated from bloodstream infections

¹ Northern Ireland Public Health Laboratory, Department of Bacteriology, Belfast City Hospital, Belfast BT9 7AD, UK
² Mycology Reference Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, The Royal Group of Hospitals, Grosvenor Road, Belfast BT12 6BA, UK
³ Department of Infectious Diseases, The Royal Group of Hospitals

Correspondence to:
Dr John E Moore, Northern Ireland Public Health Laboratory, Department of Bacteriology, Belfast City Hospital, Belfast BT9 7AD, UK;
jemoore{at}niphl.dnet.co.uk
ABSTRACT
A study was carried out to compare the API20C technology with polymerase chain reaction amplification and direct sequencing of the short internal transcribed spacer region 2 (ITS2) for the identification of 58 isolates of invasive candida species obtained from patients with bloodstream infections over the seven year period 1994 to 2000. Overall, there was only one disagreement between the phenotypic and genotypic identification, where the API scheme identified the isolate as C albicans but the molecular method identified it as C dubliniensis. This study demonstrated that the API20C method is useful in the identification of Candida spp isolated from blood culture and that molecular methods do not enhance identifications made using the API20C scheme. However, for correct reporting of C dubliniensis, an emerging bloodborne pathogen, it is recommended that all isolates identified as C albicans by the API20C scheme are further examined phenotypically and/or genotypically.

Keywords: candida species; identification; molecular techniques; API20C

Abbreviations: ITS, internal transcribed spacer region; PCR, polymerase chain reaction

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