Microsporidia and Candida spores : Their discrimination by Calcofluor, trichrome-blue and methylene-blue combination staining

Faeces of immunocompromised patients are often contaminated with the chitin-containing spores of microsporidia and Candida, which exclude the use of the chitin-specific fluorescent brightener Calcofluor white M2R for the identification of microsporidian spores. We developed a combination staining of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Tropical medicine & international health 2000-06, Vol.5 (6), p.453-458
Main Authors: SCHOTTELIUS, J, KUHN, E. M, ENRIQUEZ, R
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Azo Compounds
Benzenesulfonates
Biological and medical sciences
Candida albicans - growth & development
Candida albicans - isolation & purification
Candidiasis - diagnosis
Cercopithecus aethiops
Eosine Yellowish-(YS)
Feces - microbiology
Fluorescent Dyes
Human mycoses
Humans
Immunocompromised Host
Infectious diseases
Macaca mulatta
Medical sciences
Methyl Green
Methylene Blue
Microsporida - growth & development
Microsporida - isolation & purification
Microsporidiosis - diagnosis
Miscellaneous mycoses
Mycoses
Sensitivity and Specificity
Spores - isolation & purification
Staining and Labeling - standards
Vero Cells
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Summary:Faeces of immunocompromised patients are often contaminated with the chitin-containing spores of microsporidia and Candida, which exclude the use of the chitin-specific fluorescent brightener Calcofluor white M2R for the identification of microsporidian spores. We developed a combination staining of Calcofluor white M2R with modified trichrome-blue staining and subsequent methylene-blue incubation which permits discrimination between these two types of spores. As a basis for diagnosis, a difference in the fluorescence pattern (365-440 nm) is combined with a difference in the light microscopic staining pattern. Under fluorescence conditions microsporidia spores have a spotted, brilliant white Calcofluor fluorescence and can easily be identified, while Candida spores show a reddish purple colour. Under the light microscope microsporidian spores show a light red colour with nonstained vacuole spots or strips in contrast to the yeast spores with their red-brown colour. This combination technique offers a highly specific means for the diagnosis of microsporidia spores in faeces.
ISSN:1360-2276
1365-3156
DOI:10.1046/j.1365-3156.2000.00574.x