MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry as a diagnostic tool in human and veterinary helminthology: a systematic review

Abstract

Background Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) has become a widely used technique for the rapid and accurate identification of bacteria, mycobacteria and certain fungal pathogens in the clinical microbiology laboratory. Thus far, only few attempts have been made to apply the technique in clinical parasitology, particularly regarding helminth identification. Methods We systematically reviewed the scientific literature on studies pertaining to MALDI-TOF MS as a diagnostic technique for helminths (cestodes, nematodes and trematodes) of medical and veterinary importance. Readily available electronic databases (i.e. PubMed/MEDLINE, ScienceDirect, Cochrane Library, Web of Science and Google Scholar) were searched from inception to 10 October 2018, without restriction on year of publication or language. The titles and abstracts of studies were screened for eligibility by two independent reviewers. Relevant articles were read in full and included in the systematic review. Results A total of 84 peer-reviewed articles were considered for the final analysis. Most papers reported on the application of MALDI-TOF for the study of Caenorhabditis elegans , and the technique was primarily used for identification of specific proteins rather than entire pathogens. Since 2015, a small number of studies documented the successful use of MALDI-TOF MS for species-specific identification of nematodes of human and veterinary importance, such as Trichinella spp. and Dirofilaria spp. However, the quality of available data and the number of examined helminth samples was low. Conclusions Data on the use of MALDI-TOF MS for the diagnosis of helminths are scarce, but recent evidence suggests a potential role for a reliable identification of nematodes. Future research should explore the diagnostic accuracy of MALDI-TOF MS for identification of (i) adult helminths, larvae and eggs shed in faecal samples; and (ii) helminth-related proteins that are detectable in serum or body fluids of infected individuals. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13071-019-3493-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Mass Spectrometry Based-Proteomic Analysis of Anisakis spp.: A Preliminary Study towards a New Diagnostic Tool

“…Although widely used as a diagnostic tool for accurate identification of bacteria, very few studies have tried to translate the advantages of the MALDI–TOF MS technique to clinical parasitology [ 8 , 9 ], and therefore, as far as we know, there are no related commercially MALDI–TOF MS ID spectral library databases.…”

“…In particular, three platforms, i.e., MALDI Biotyper (Bruker Daltonics GmbH, Bremen, Germany), VITEK MS (bioMerieux, Marcy-l’Étoile, France), and Andromas MS (Paris, France) are currently approved for routine use and adopted by many clinical microbiological laboratories [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ], facilitating the clinical identification of many pathogenic microorganisms, including bacteria, yeasts, and filamentous fungi. However, an increase of applications of this technology has been observed in the last 10 years, with encouraging results also in studies regarding parasites [ 8 , 9 ]. A recent application of MALDI–TOF MS for Dirofilaria and Ascaris protein-based profiling showed a promising scenario towards clinical applications involving nematodes biotyping [ 10 ].…”

Identification of Adult Fasciola spp. Using Matrix-Assisted Laser/Desorption Ionization Time-of-Flight (MALDI-TOF) Mass Spectrometry

“…During the past decade, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) has become a widely employed tool for the diagnosis of bacteria and fungi in clinical samples [ 18 , 19 , 20 ]. More recently, a variety of studies have reported the use of MALDI-TOF MS as a potentially promising tool for the identification of mosquitoes [ 21 , 22 ], ticks [ 23 ], and, to a lesser extent, parasites (protozoa and helminths) [ 24 ]. In contrast to PCR-based techniques, MALDI-TOF MS allows for a broad, “untargeted” detection of microorganisms if these are present in the database used for pathogen identification.…”

Streptococcus suis: An Underestimated Emerging Pathogen in Hungary?

“…In the case report of Tarini et al, the causative agent of meningitis for a 50-year-old male patient was identified as S. mitis with a 99% probability (based on the VITEK 2 Compact ID/AST system), while sequencing results from cerebrospinal fluid confirmed S. suis as the true pathogen [ 99 ]. The increasing use of modern diagnostic tools (e.g., PCR, MALDI-TOF MS) and methods available for use directly from clinical specimens may further aid the identification biochemically inactive or unreliably-identified isolates [ 100 , 101 ]. A very recently published report by Olearo et al showed the first imported human case of S. suis infection in Switzerland: a 45-year-old woman bought and consumed raw pork meat imported from a small local farm in Moldova 24 h before flying back to Geneva, Switzerland.…”