[Rapid Identification of Infectious Microorganisms in Clinical Samples by MALDI-TOF MS Analysis]

Matrix-laser desorption ionization time-of flight/mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) is a powerful tool for the detection of target molecules in body fluids. Recently, the MALDI-TOF MS technique was applied for the rapid detection of protein profiles in cultured strains, and has rapid, simple, and universal advantages over the conventional technique. MALDI mass patterns were compared with the unique ribosomal 16S protein profiles of standard microorganism strains in a commercial database. Although this present MS technique has already been adopted as a routine method for the identification of general bacteria in the clinical laboratory field, there are still many problems to overcome regarding current challenges, necessitating the identification of more valuable species of microorganism. As the first step, we have begun the standardization of sample preparation to identify species causing infectious diseases by MALDI-TOF MS. In this special issue, we summarize the challenges in the modified preparation of clinical samples, such as blood, urine, and sputum, in our laboratory to rapidly diagnose severe infectious disease, and describe the current trends in clinical microbiology.