Rapid identification of Propionibacterium acnes from blood cultures by fluorescence in situ hybridization

Received 7 July 2009; accepted 3 September 2009. published online 08 October 2009.

Abstract

A newly designed probe for rapid identification of Propionibacterium acnes by fluorescence in situ hybridization was evaluated using 111 isolates from subculture and showed 100% sensitivity and specificity. A sensitivity of 95% and a specificity of 100% were achieved with direct application on 55 blood cultures containing Gram-positive rods.

Keywords: FISH, In situ hybridization, Probe, Propionibacterium, Blood culture, rRNA

a Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, 20359 Hamburg, Germany

b Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany

Corresponding author. Tel.: +49-40-18-20-93-78; fax: +49-40-42-81-85-12.

PII: S0732-8893(09)00370-8

doi:10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2009.09.007

16 of 22