Multicenter evaluation of Neo-Sensitabs, a standardized diffusion method for yeast susceptibility testing

Area of Science:

• Mycology
• Clinical Microbiology
• Pharmaceutical Sciences

Background:

• Antifungal susceptibility testing is crucial for guiding treatment decisions.
• Standardized and reliable methods are needed for in vitro antifungal testing.
• Evaluating novel antifungal agents requires robust susceptibility assays.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the Neo-Sensitabs agar diffusion method for antifungal susceptibility testing.
• To assess the reproducibility of the Neo-Sensitabs method across multiple laboratories.
• To compare the Neo-Sensitabs method with other commercialized antifungal susceptibility testing methods.

Main Methods:

• The Neo-Sensitabs agar diffusion method was evaluated using 33 reference fungal strains.
• Fourteen laboratories participated in the study, testing various antifungal agents including 5-fluorocytosine, amphotericin B, nystatin, fluconazole, itraconazole, ketoconazole, and tioconazole.
• Inhibition zone diameters were measured to classify strains as susceptible, intermediate, or resistant.

Main Results:

• The Neo-Sensitabs method demonstrated high intra- and interlaboratory reproducibility (97.1%).
• The method was found to be easy to perform and reliable for antifungal susceptibility testing.
• Neo-Sensitabs showed superiority compared to other commercialized methods, particularly for triazole derivatives like fluconazole and itraconazole.

Conclusions:

• The Neo-Sensitabs agar diffusion method is a reliable and reproducible technique for in vitro antifungal susceptibility testing.
• This method is particularly valuable for evaluating triazole antifungals such as fluconazole and itraconazole.
• Neo-Sensitabs offers a practical and effective alternative for antifungal sensitivity testing in clinical laboratories.