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Pre-processing tissue specimens with a tissue homogenizer: clinical and microbiological evaluation
Erlangga Yusuf1, Marieke Pronk2, Mireille van Westreenen2
1Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Doctor Molewaterplein 40, 3015 GD, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. e.yusuf@erasmusmc.nl.
Background:
Tissues are valuable specimens in diagnostic microbiology because they are often obtained by invasive methods, and effort should thus be taken to maximize microbiological yield. The objective of this study was to evaluate the added value of using tissue pre-processing (tissue homogenizer instrument gentleMACS Dissociator) in detecting microorganisms responsible for infections.
Methods:
We included 104 randomly collected tissue samples, 41 (39.4 %) bones and 63 (60.6 %) soft tissues, many of those (42/104 (40.4 %)) were of periprosthetic origins. We compared the agreement between pre-processing tissues using tissue homogenizer with routine microbiology diagnostic procedure, and we calculated the performance of these methods when clinical infections were used as reference standard.
Results:
There was no significant difference between the two methods (McNemar test, p = 0.3). Among the positive culture using both methods (n = 62), 61 (98.4 %) showed at least one similar microorganism. Exactly similar microorganisms were found in 42/62 (67.7 %) of the samples. From the included tissues, 55/ 104 (52.9 %) were deemed as infected. We found that the sensitivity of homogenized tissue procedure was lower (83.6 %) than when tissue was processed using tissue homogenizer (89.1 %). Sub-analysis on periprosthetic tissues and soft or bone tissues showed comparable results.
Conclusions:
The added value of GentleMACS Dissociator tissue homogenizer is limited in comparison to routine tissue processing.
Insights
Using a tissue homogenizer instrument like the gentleMACS Dissociator offers limited added value for detecting microorganisms in tissue samples compared to routine methods. This study found no significant difference in overall detection rates for diagnosing infections.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Diagnostic techniques
- Medical laboratory science
Background:
- Tissues are crucial specimens in diagnostic microbiology.
- Invasive methods for obtaining tissue samples necessitate maximizing microbiological yield.
- Evaluating novel pre-processing techniques is essential for improving diagnostic accuracy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the added value of the gentleMACS Dissociator tissue homogenizer in detecting microorganisms from infected tissues.
- To compare the microbiological yield of homogenized tissue processing versus routine methods.
- To determine the efficacy of tissue pre-processing in enhancing the diagnosis of infections.
Main Methods:
- A comparative study involving 104 randomly collected tissue samples (41 bone, 63 soft tissue), including periprosthetic samples.
- Comparison of microbial detection between tissue homogenization using the gentleMACS Dissociator and standard microbiological procedures.
- Performance evaluation against clinical infection as the reference standard.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in microorganism detection between the two methods (McNemar test, p=0.3).
- High agreement in detected microorganisms (98.4%) between methods when cultures were positive.
- Sensitivity for detecting infected tissues was slightly lower with homogenization (83.6%) compared to routine processing (89.1%).
Conclusions:
- The gentleMACS Dissociator tissue homogenizer provides limited added value over routine tissue processing for microbiological analysis.
- Routine methods remain effective for microorganism detection in diverse tissue types, including bone and soft tissues.
- The study did not demonstrate a significant improvement in diagnostic yield using this specific tissue homogenization instrument.
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