MALDI-TOF mass spectrometric analysis for identification of parasitic disease causes: current status and prospects

Introduction. The general issues of methodology, approaches and technologies in laboratory diagnostics of parasitic infections include MALDI-ToF MS-analysis (Matrix-Assisted Lazer Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry; matrix-activated laser desorption-ionization time-of-Flight mass spectrometry), as well as a number of specific issues related to the relevance and timely application of this highly specific technologies in identification and typing of pathogens of parasitic diseases. An important and practically unsolved problem in parasitology is high-quality, highly effective, highly sensitive laboratory diagnostics of parasitoses.

The object of this study is to analyze and evaluate the current state and perspectives of MALDI-TOF as an instrument of identification of diverse parasites in various samples and objects.

Materials and methods. Federal statistics data on infectious and parasitic morbidity, own experimental studies, retrospectively analyzed literary data of foreign and Russian authors.

Results. A steady decline in the detection of cases of parasitic invasions is associated with the lack of highly effective and sensitive diagnostic methods.

Limitations. In the process of studying the effectiveness of the MALDI-TOF MS method in parasitological laboratories (departments), we analyzed our own experimental data (samples with artificial introduction of parasitic pathogens) and analyzed data on the main parasitic nosologies circulating in the territory of the Russian Federation for three years from 2017–2019, which are reflected in the state reports of of the Federal Service for Supervision in Protection of the Rights of Consumer and Man Wellbeing, which is a fairly reference sample.

Conclusions. Studies comparing the results of mass spectrometric typing and traditional diagnostic methods are promising, which are necessary to clarify the capabilities of the method and determine its place in the laboratory diagnosis of infections caused by parasitic pathogens.

Contribution:
Aslanova M.M. — research concept and design, statistical processing, text writing, editing.
Rakitina D.V. — research concept and design, statistical processing, text writing, editing.
Maniya T.R. — collection and processing of material.
Abramov I.A. — collection and processing of material, statistical processing.
Sergiev V.P. — research concept and design.
All authors are responsible for the integrity of all parts of the manuscript and approval of the manuscript final version.

Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Acknowledgement. The study had no sponsorship.

Received: March 1, 2022 / Accepted: April 12, 2022 / Published: May 31, 2022