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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, August 2000, p. 2949-2954, Vol. 38, No. 8
0095-1137/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Comparison of NCCLS and
3-(4,5-Dimethyl-2-Thiazyl)-2,5-Diphenyl-2H-Tetrazolium Bromide (MTT)
Methods of In Vitro Susceptibility Testing of Filamentous Fungi and
Development of a New Simplified Method
Joseph
Meletiadis,1,*
Jacques F. G. M.
Meis,1,2
Johan W.
Mouton,2
J. Peter
Donnelly,3 and
Paul E.
Verweij1
Departments of Medical
Microbiology1 and
Hematology,3 University Medical Center
Nijmegen, and Department of Medical Microbiology, Canisius
Wilhelmina Hospital,2 Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Received 6 March 2000/Returned for modification 16 May
2000/Accepted 3 June 2000
The susceptibility of 30 clinical isolates belonging to six
different species of filamentous fungi (Aspergillus
fumigatus, Aspergillus flavus, Scedosporium
prolificans, Scedosporium apiospermum, Fusarium
solani, and Fusarium oxysporum) was tested against
six antifungal drugs (miconazole, voriconazole, itraconazole, UR9825, terbinafine, and amphotericin B) with the microdilution method recommended by the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards
(NCCLS) (M38-P). The MICs were compared with the MICs obtained by a
colorimetric method measuring the reduction of the dye
3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) to
formazan by viable fungi. The levels of agreement between the two
methods were 96 and 92% for MIC-0 (clear wells) and MIC-1 (75% growth
reduction), respectively. The levels of agreement were always higher
for Aspergillus spp. (97% ± 2.5%), followed by
Scedosporium spp. (87% ± 10.3%) and Fusarium
spp. (78% ± 7.8%). The NCCLS method was more reproducible than the
MTT method: 98 versus 95% for MIC-0 and 97 versus 90% for MIC-1.
However, the percentage of hyphal growth as determined visually by the
NCCLS method showed several discrepancies when they were compared with the percentages of MTT reduction. A new simplified assay that incorporates the dye MTT with the initial inoculum and in which the
fungi are incubated with the dye for 48 h or more was developed, showing comparable levels of agreement and reproducibility with the
other two methods. Furthermore, the new assay was easier to perform and
more sensitive than the MTT method.
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of
Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Nijmegen, P.O. Box
9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Phone: 31-24-3613514. Fax: 31-24-3540216. E-mail: j.meletiadis{at}mmb.azn.nl.
Journal of Clinical Microbiology, August 2000, p. 2949-2954, Vol. 38, No. 8
0095-1137/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
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