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Evaluation of the Microring YT system for identifying clinical yeast isolates
1Department of Microbiology, Whiston Hospital, Prescot, Merseyside.
Abstract:
The Microring YT is a commercial system for identifying clinical yeast isolates. The system uses a series of discs impregnated with inhibitory agents mounted on a ring. The pattern of growth and inhibition produced provides a six digit code which can be compared with a table provided by the manufacturer. The performance of this system was compared with the API 32C in the identification of 606 yeast isolates (355 clinical and 251 environmental strains). The Microring YT system was in 72.6% agreement with the API 32C system. The sensitivity of identification of different species varied from 38% to 100%. The API 32C system has a more extensive database than the Microring YT and is thus more reliable for use, but it is considerably more expensive. It is concluded that although the Microring YT is cheap, easy, and convenient to use, it is inadequate for many common Candida species.
Insights
The Microring YT system shows limited accuracy for identifying clinical yeast isolates, with only 72.6% agreement with the API 32C. This yeast identification method is inadequate for common Candida species.
Area of Science:
- Clinical Microbiology
- Diagnostic Mycology
Background:
- Accurate identification of yeast isolates is crucial for effective clinical diagnosis and treatment.
- Commercial identification systems aim to streamline and improve the accuracy of yeast identification in clinical laboratories.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the performance of the Microring YT system for identifying clinical and environmental yeast isolates.
- To compare the Microring YT system's accuracy against the established API 32C system.
Main Methods:
- A total of 606 yeast isolates (355 clinical, 251 environmental) were tested using both the Microring YT and API 32C systems.
- Identification results from both systems were compared to determine agreement and sensitivity.
Main Results:
- The Microring YT system achieved 72.6% agreement with the API 32C system.
- The sensitivity for identifying different yeast species varied significantly, ranging from 38% to 100% with the Microring YT.
- The Microring YT system demonstrated inadequacy for identifying several common Candida species.
Conclusions:
- While the Microring YT system is inexpensive and user-friendly, its diagnostic accuracy is insufficient for routine clinical use, particularly for common Candida species.
- The API 32C system, despite its higher cost, offers greater reliability due to a more comprehensive database.
- Further validation is needed for the Microring YT system to improve its clinical utility.