Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40551454›Full record

ArticleMycoses2025

Identification of Filamentous Fungi: An Evaluation of Three MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry Systems.

Isabel Klugherz, Bettina Kölli, Moritz Reinmüller, Birgit Willinger, Eva Leitner, Ivo Steinmetz, Karl Dichtl

Abstract readEvaluation StudyComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in Mycoses, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Optimizing MALDI-TOF MS for routine dermatophyte identification, including Trichophyton indotineae.European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Evaluation of the VITEKEuropean journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology · 2026
    Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Isabel KlugherzDiagnostic and Research Institute of Hygiene, Microbiology and Environmental Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
Bettina KölliDiagnostic and Research Institute of Hygiene, Microbiology and Environmental Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
Moritz ReinmüllerDiagnostic and Research Institute of Hygiene, Microbiology and Environmental Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
Birgit WillingerDivision of Clinical Microbiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7921-5749
Eva LeitnerDiagnostic and Research Institute of Hygiene, Microbiology and Environmental Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
Ivo SteinmetzDiagnostic and Research Institute of Hygiene, Microbiology and Environmental Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
Karl DichtlDiagnostic and Research Institute of Hygiene, Microbiology and Environmental Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5032-8870

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIdentification of filamentous fungi still poses a major challenge to laboratories. Matrix assisted laser desorption/ionisation time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) is a promising tool, since it offers low-cost and fast results. Different MALDI-TOF MS systems are available for routine laboratories. This is a comprehensive head-to-head comparison of three devices and the respective reference spectrum databases. MATERIALS AND

methodsA set of 77 pre-characterised isolates of filamentous fungi was measured (in duplicates) parallelly with three MALDI-TOF MS systems after 24 h, 48 h and 72 h of incubation: (1) Biotyper smart ('BT', Bruker Daltonics),(2) EXS2600 ('EXS', Zybio) and (3) VITEK MS PRIME ('VITEK', bioMérieux).

resultsAfter three measurements, no valid results at the species level ('green category') were obtained for 18%, 21% and 14% of isolates by BT, EXS and VITEK. Depending on the MALDI-TOF MS system, validity rates ranged from 58%-82% for the different time points. Correct and valid results were obtained for 82%, 73% and 81% of isolates by BT, EXS and VITEK. BT was the system that required the most duplicate measurements. EXS displayed the highest rate of misidentification events. VITEK had the highest rate of unidentified isolates, which were featured within its database.

conclusionBased on our experience, all three devices proved to be suitable for routine diagnostics. The timepoint of measurement had a major impact on the quality of analysis and should be considered by the user. Lowering the validity cut-off levels might increase the performance of the EXS system.

Indexed as

FungiSpectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-IonizationHumansMycological Typing TechniquesMycosesReproducibility of ResultsaspergillusBiotyperEXS2600filamentous fungiidentificationMALDI‐TOFmass spectrometrymouldsVITEK MS

Identifiers

PMID40551454
PMCPMC12203145

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.