Development and validation of a microsphere-based Luminex assay for rapid identification of clinically relevant aspergilli

A Luminex-based assay for the rapid identification of Aspergillus species was designed, optimized, and validated with 131 clinical isolates of Aspergillus fumigatus, A. flavus, A. niger, A. terreus, A. ustus, and A. versicolor. The six species-specific probes were directed toward the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS-1) region and tested in a multiplex format with results generated within 6 h. Species identifications generated by the Aspergillus Luminex assay were 100% concordant with results from comparative sequence analyses of the ITS-1 region and showed excellent specificity. The Aspergillus Luminex assay is a rapid, relatively simple method that may prove to be a useful diagnostic tool for rapid Aspergillus identification in clinical laboratory settings.