Abstract

PEREZ, Celina et al. Cryptococcus spp. in Venezuela and its relationship with the MicroScan^® biotype. Rev. Soc. Ven. Microbiol. [online]. 2008, vol.28, n.1, pp.61-65. ISSN 1315-2556.

The automated reader of the AutoScan^® -4 microbiological panels detects fungi growth in various biological substrates present in the MicroScan^® panel wells. The purpose of this study was to relate the biotype identified by the MicroScan^® with the species causing the criptococcosis, in order to obtain identification in the shortest possible period. The evaluation included 82 Cryptococcus spp. strains isolated from clinical samples between 1995 and 2004. To guarantee the purity of the strains they were also identified by conventional methods; to identify the species we used L-canavanin-glycine-bromthymol blue medium (CGB). We also used the fast yeast identification MicroScan^® panel with the purpose of determining the “biotype”. The MicroScan^® revealed 27 different “biotypes”. Of the 82 isolates typed with the CGB medium, 91.46% corresponded to C. neoformans and 8.5% to C. gattii. No significant difference was found among the “biotypes” and the species (p<0,05). Nevertheless, there was a statistically significant difference between the assimilation of p-nitrophenil-N-acetyl-ß-D-glucosamine (NAG) (p<0.05) by the C. gattii and the C. neoformans species. The fast yeast identification MicroScan^® panel was not able to differentiate between both species.

Keywords : Cryptococcus spp; C. neoformans; C. gattii; automated identification; biotypes; MicroScan^®.