Gudisa Rajendra, Harchand Ritika, Rudramurthy Shivaprakash M
Department of Medical Microbiology, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh 160012, India.
Diagnostics (Basel). 2024 Feb 29;14(5):520. doi: 10.3390/diagnostics14050520.
The world has seen a tremendous increase in the number of fungal infections during the past two decades. Recently, the World Health Organisation released the pathogen priority list for fungal infections, signifying the importance of these infections in the fields of research and public health. Microbiology laboratories demand an upgrade in the diagnostic system to keep up with the increased burden of these infections. Diagnosis of fungal infections using conventional techniques has always faced limitations in terms of specificity, sensitivity, and turnaround time. Although these methods are the core pillars of the diagnosis, there is an increased need for molecular approaches. Molecular techniques have revolutionised the field of fungal diagnostics. The diverse array of molecular techniques, including techniques like Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), have emerged as a cornerstone in fungal diagnostics. Molecular techniques have transformed fungal diagnostics, providing powerful tools for the rapid and accurate identification of pathogens. As these technologies continue to evolve, their integration into routine clinical practice holds the promise of improving patient outcomes through timely and targeted antifungal interventions. This review will cover the molecular approaches involved in fungal diagnostics, moving from the basic techniques to the advanced-level nucleic-acid-based molecular approaches providing a high throughput and decreased turnaround time for the diagnosis of serious fungal infections.
在过去二十年中，全球真菌感染的数量大幅增加。最近，世界卫生组织发布了真菌感染的病原体优先清单，这表明这些感染在研究和公共卫生领域的重要性。微生物实验室需要升级诊断系统，以应对这些感染日益增加的负担。使用传统技术诊断真菌感染在特异性、敏感性和周转时间方面一直存在局限性。尽管这些方法是诊断的核心支柱，但对分子方法的需求也在增加。分子技术彻底改变了真菌诊断领域。各种各样的分子技术，包括聚合酶链反应（PCR）等技术，已成为真菌诊断的基石。分子技术改变了真菌诊断，为快速准确地识别病原体提供了强大工具。随着这些技术不断发展，将它们整合到常规临床实践中有望通过及时和有针对性的抗真菌干预改善患者预后。本综述将涵盖真菌诊断中涉及的分子方法，从基本技术到基于核酸的高级分子方法，这些方法为严重真菌感染的诊断提供了高通量并缩短了周转时间。
