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We reviewed the performance of a panfungal ITS-2 PCR and Sanger sequencing assay performed on 88 FFPE specimens at The Hospital for Sick Children (Toronto, Canada) in 2019. A potential… Click to show full abstract
We reviewed the performance of a panfungal ITS-2 PCR and Sanger sequencing assay performed on 88 FFPE specimens at The Hospital for Sick Children (Toronto, Canada) in 2019. A potential fungal pathogen was identified by ITS PCR in 62.7% and 2.9% of positive and negative direct slide examination of tissue specimens respectively. ITS amplicons were detected in 87/88 specimens, with 53/88 (60.2%) considered as 'Positive-contaminants' and 34/88 (38.6%) as 'Positive-potential pathogen' upon sequencing. Potential pathogens included Blastomyces dermatitidis (17.1%), Cryptococcus neoformans (17.1%), Histoplasma capsulatum (14.3%) and Mucormycetes (11.4%). Laboratories should only perform ITS PCR on FFPE tissues if fungal elements have been confirmed on histopathology slides.
Journal Title: Medical mycology
Year Published: 2022
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