EVALUATION OF 6 COMMERCIAL SYSTEMS FOR IDENTIFICATION OF MEDICALLY IMPORTANT YEASTS

Six commercially available systems for the identification of yeasts we re evaluated using 133 clinical isolates and four reference strains th at had been previously identified by conventional methods and 19 recen t clinical isolates that had been identified by the ID32C system (bioM erieux, France). The total identification rates (TIR) established for the total number of strains tested and the database identification rat es (DBIR) established for the strains included in the respective manuf acturer databases were both determined. After incubation for 4 h, the TIR and DBIR were 78% and 84%, respectively, for the RapID Yeast Plus system (Innovative Diagnostic Systems, USA). After incubation for 24 h , the TIR and DBIR were 32% and 32%, respectively, for the ID32C, 65% and 67% for the Auxacolor system (Sanofi Diagnostics Pasteur, France), 62% and 65% for the Fungichrom I system (International Microbio, Fran ce), 52% and 65% for the Fungifast I twin system (International Microb io), and 62% and 68% for the, API Candida system (bioMerieux). The max imum TIR and DBIR (+/-1%) obtained after incubation for 48 h were 86% and 88% for the Auxacolor, 85% and 89% for the Fungichrom I, 78% and 9 8% for the Fungifast I twin, and 82% and 91% for the API Candida. For the ID32C, the maximum TIR and DBIR were 98% and 98%, respectively, bu t these values were obtained only after 72 h of incubation. In additio n, the six systems varied in their ease of use and readings. In conclu sion, based on results obtained with 156 strains, the Auxacolor and Fu ngichrom systems seem the most appropriate for use in a clinical micro biology laboratory, due to their ease of use and reading, their rapidi ty, their cost per test, and their relatively high TIR results, which indicated acceptable performance with strains frequently isolated in o ur hospital. For a reference identification, the ID32C remains the sol e system usable.