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A Novel Hyphal Suspension Approach for MIC Testing of Mould Fungi
Hailin Zheng1,2, Dongmei Li3, Naicen Ge1
1Hospital for Skin Diseases, Institute of Dermatology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Nanjing, China.
Background:
Filamentous fungi cause a wide range of superficial and invasive infections, and antifungal susceptibility assay is essential for guiding effective therapy. Standard broth microdilution methods rely on microconidia-based inocula; however, many clinically important moulds produce insufficient microconidia due to intrinsic characteristics or culture conditions, limiting the applicability of conventional testing and often necessitating empirical treatment.
Objectives:
To overcome this limitation, we developed an alternative method using precisely quantified mycelial cell suspensions for MIC determination.
Methods:
The method was evaluated using 115 fungal strains and compared with traditional microconidia-based testing.
Results:
High concordance was observed between the two approaches, with agreement rates of 90% or higher across three common dermatophytes causing tinea infections and three representative fungi responsible for invasive infections.
Conclusions:
This mycelial-based approach provides a reliable and practical alternative for antifungal susceptibility testing of poorly sporulating moulds and may improve the efficiency and accessibility of MIC testing in clinical laboratories.
