Non-invasive and invasive diagnoses of aspergillosis in a rat model by mass spectrometry

Sci Rep. 2017 Nov 28;7(1):16523. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-16648-z.

Abstract

Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis results in 450,000 deaths per year and complicates cancer chemotherapy, transplantations and the treatment of other immunosuppressed patients. Using a rat model of experimental aspergillosis, the fungal siderophores ferricrocin and triacetylfusarinine C were identified as markers of aspergillosis and quantified in urine, serum and lung tissues. Biomarkers were analyzed by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry using a 12T SolariX Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) mass spectrometer. The limits of detection of the ferri-forms of triacetylfusarinine C and ferricrocin in the rat serum were 0.28 and 0.36 ng/mL, respectively. In the rat urine the respective limits of detection achieved 0.02 and 0.03 ng/mL. In the sera of infected animals, triacetylfusarinine C was not detected but ferricrocin concentration fluctuated in the 3-32 ng/mL range. Notably, the mean concentrations of triacetylfusarinine C and ferricrocin in the rat urine were 0.37 and 0.63 μg/mL, respectively. The MALDI FTICR mass spectrometry imaging illustrated the actual microbial ferricrocin distribution in the lung tissues and resolved the false-positive results obtained by the light microscopy and histological staining. Ferricrocin and triacetylfusarinine C detection in urine represents an innovative non-invasive indication of Aspergillus infection in a host.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Aspergillosis / diagnosis*
  • Aspergillosis / microbiology*
  • Aspergillus / chemistry
  • Aspergillus / metabolism
  • Biomarkers
  • Chromatography, Liquid
  • Colony Count, Microbial
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Histocytochemistry
  • Humans
  • Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis / diagnosis
  • Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis / microbiology
  • Lung / microbiology
  • Lung / pathology
  • Mass Spectrometry* / methods
  • Metabolomics / methods
  • Rats
  • Siderophores / analysis
  • Siderophores / chemistry
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization / methods

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Siderophores