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Rapid Identification of Histoplasma capsulatum Directly from Cultures by Multiplex PCR

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Abstract

The multiplex PCR developed from a suspension of the yeast fungi correctly identified fifty-one clinical of H. capsulatum var. capsulatum strains isolated from clinical samples and soil specimens. The multiplex PCR was developed by combining two pairs of primers, one of them was specific to the H. capsulatum and the other one, universal for fungi, turned out to be specific to H. capsulatum, regardless of the fungus isolate studied. Primers designed to amplify a region of about 390-bp (Hc I–Hc II) and a region of approximately 600-bp (ITS1–ITS4) were used to identify a yeast isolated as H. capsulatum when both regions could be amplified. Absolute agreement (100 % sensitivity) could be shown between this assay and the cultures of H. capsulatum according to their morphological characteristics. Failure to amplify the target DNA sequence by PCR with primers Hc I–Hc II in the presence of the ITS1–ITS4 amplicon in isolates of P. brasiliensis, Cryptococcus neoformans, Trichosporon spp, Candida glabrata, C. albicans, C. tropicalis, C. parapsilosis, C. krusei, or Penicillium marneffei was an unequivocal sign of the high specificity of this assay. The assay specificity was also found to be 100 %. Incipient yeast forms obtained from clinical samples were identified as H. capsulatum by the PCR assay described before the morphological characteristics were registered shortening the time of diagnosis.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by Grant UBACyT 20020100100554, School of Medicine. University of Buenos Aires.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Microbiología, Parasitología e Inmunología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Paraguay 2155 piso 11, 1121, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Nahuel Alejandro Elías, María Luján Cuestas, Macarena Sandoval, Gabriela Poblete, Gabriela Lopez-Daneri, Virginia Jewtuchowicz, Cristina Iovannitti & María Teresa Mujica

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  1. Nahuel Alejandro Elías
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  2. María Luján Cuestas
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  3. Macarena Sandoval
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  4. Gabriela Poblete
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  5. Gabriela Lopez-Daneri
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  6. Virginia Jewtuchowicz
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  7. Cristina Iovannitti
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  8. María Teresa Mujica
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Correspondence to María Teresa Mujica.

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Elías, N.A., Cuestas, M.L., Sandoval, M. et al. Rapid Identification of Histoplasma capsulatum Directly from Cultures by Multiplex PCR. Mycopathologia 174, 451–456 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-012-9567-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-012-9567-2

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