Multi Evaluation of a Modified GoldNano Carb Test for Carbapenemase Detection in Clinical Isolates of Gram-Negative...

Carbapenemase-producing Gram-negative bacteria have been increasingly reported. Simple and sensitive methods for carbapenemase detection are still needed. In this study, a gold nanoparticle (AuNP) solution was modified by the addition of zinc sulfate (ZnSO₄) for improving the conventional GoldNano Carb (cGoldC) test, and the modified GoldC (mGoldC) test was then evaluated for phenotypic detection of carbapenemase production in Gram-negative bacilli clinical isolates. ZnSO₄ was added to give final concentrations of 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1 mM. The performance of the mGoldC test was evaluated in Enterobacterales, Acinetobacter spp., and Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates from six hospitals in different regions using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as a gold standard. The AuNP solution with 0.25 mM ZnSO₄ was used for the mGoldC test. Evaluation of the mGoldC test in 495 Enterobacterales, 212 Acinetobacter spp., and 125 P. aeruginosa isolates (including 444 carbapenemase producers and 388 non-carbapenemase producers) revealed sensitivity, specificity, a positive likelihood ratio, and a negative likelihood ratio of 98.6%, 98.2%, 54.7, and 0.01, respectively. This test is fast, easy to perform, cost-effective (~0.25 USD per test), and highly sensitive and specific for routine carbapenemase detection, thus leading to effective antimicrobial therapy and infection control measures.