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Case Reports
. 2023 Oct 21:42:100614.
doi: 10.1016/j.mmcr.2023.100614. eCollection 2023 Dec.

A novel diagnostic method for a rare fungus: FcMBL facilitates Wickerhamomyces anomalus identification in an immunocompromised neonate

Conor J Higgins  1 , Kerry-Anne Kite  2   3 , Nigel Klein  2   3 , Michael Super  4 , Michael T McCurdy  5   6 , Darren Hargrave  3
Affiliations
Case Reports

A novel diagnostic method for a rare fungus: FcMBL facilitates Wickerhamomyces anomalus identification in an immunocompromised neonate

Conor J Higgins et al. Med Mycol Case Rep. .

Abstract

Fungemia negatively impacts patient outcomes, current diagnostics lack sensitivity to identify emerging rare mycoses, and fungal infections are increasing in prevalence, variety, and resistance. We report a case of Wickerhamomyces anomalus in an immunocompromised neonate in which FcMBL bead-based matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) resulted in species identification roughly 30 hours before standard pathogen identification methods. Deploying FcMBL bead-based MALDI-TOF MS may improve the speed and accuracy of identification, and therefore treatment, of rare pathogens.

Keywords: Case report; FcMBL; Fungemia; MALDI-TOF MS; Neonate; Wickerhamomyces anomalus.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Timeline of the patient's blood culture history and associated treatments. Day 0 indicates the first day of suspected infection.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Photograph of the mass spectrometry plate where samples are plated after either Bruker Sepsityper® or FcMBL-based processing but prior to MALDI-TOF analysis.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Schematic of pathogen isolation via FcMBL magnetic beads. Agnostic binding facilitates rapid pathogen concentration following a positive blood culture. The sample is then eluted off FcMBL beads and processed via MALDI-TOF.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
After agnostic pathogen binding, FcMBL beads are isolated via a magnetic rack and eluted for pathogen analysis.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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