Dermatophytoses represent a major health burden in animals and man. Zoophilic
dermatophytes usually show a high specificity to their original animal host but a
zoonotic transmission is increasingly recorded. In humans, these infections elicit highly
inflammatory skin lesions requiring prolonged therapy even in the immunocompetent
patient. The correct identification of the causative agent is often crucial to initiate a
targeted and effective therapy. To that end, matrix assisted laser desorption ionization
time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) represents a promising tool. The
objective of this study was to evaluate the reliability of species identification of zoophilic
dermatophytes using MALDI-TOF MS. The investigation of isolates from veterinary clinical
samples suspicious of dermatophytoses suggests a good MALDI-TOF MS based
identification of the most common zoophilic dermatophyte Microsporum canis.
Trichophyton (T.) spp. usually achieved scores only around the cutoff value for secure
species identification because of a small number of reference spectra. Moreover, these
results need to be interpreted with caution due to the close taxonomic relationship of
dermatophytes being reflected in very similar spectra. In our study, the analysis of 50
clinical samples of hedgehogs revealed no correct identification using the provided
databases, nor for zoophilic neither for geophilic causative agents. After DNA
sequencing, adaptation of sample processing and an individual extension of the inhouse
database, acceptable identification scores were achieved (T. erinacei and
Arthroderma spp., respectively). A score-oriented distance dendrogram revealed
clustering of geophilic isolates of four different species of the genus Arthroderma and
underlined the close relationship of the important zoophilic agents T. erinacei, T.
verrucosum and T. benhamiae by forming a subclade within a larger cluster including
different dermatophytes. Taken together, MALDI-TOF MS proofed suitable for the
identification of zoophilic dermatophytes provided fresh cultures are used and the
reference library was previously extended with spectra of laboratory-relevant species.
Performing independent molecular methods, such as sequencing, is strongly
recommended to substantiate the findings from morphologic and MALDI-TOF MS
analyses, especially for uncommon causative agents.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:DRESDEN/oai:qucosa:de:qucosa:84532 |
| Date | 03 April 2023 |
| Creators | Baumbach, Christina-Marie, Müller, Stefanie, Reuschel, Maximilian, Uhrlaß, Silke, Nenoff, Pietro, Baums, Christoph Georg, Schrödl, Wieland |
| Publisher | Frontiers Research Foundation |
| Source Sets | Hochschulschriftenserver (HSSS) der SLUB Dresden |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion, doc-type:article, info:eu-repo/semantics/article, doc-type:Text |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
| Relation | 2235-2988, 631681 |
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