**Author details**

This mass spectrometric technique is based on MALDI-TOF coupled to a Vitek-II and Myla, a database which receives the fingerprint of the sample from culture or sample directly and then identifies the organism. This technique has been used identifying fungi from clinical samples. Results from this study identifying 18 fungi with a quick and inexpensive strategy, since it does not require a prior extraction of proteins. These tests were perfomerd on clinical isolates from 20 patients, which were also evaluated using Vitek 2. Comparison between re‐

Ferreira *et al.,* analyzed 294 facultative anaerobic and aerobic isolates obtained from differ‐ ent clinical samples, using conventional microbiological methods compared to conventional microbiological methods. In the analysis they concluded that bacterial clinical isolates iden‐ tification obtained by MS MALDI-TOF shows excellent correlation with identification ob‐ tained by conventional microbiological methods. Moreover, MS MALDI-TOF allows the identification of bacteria from colonies grown on agar culture plates in just a few minutes

Ocular infections are one of the most frequent events in ophthalmology, and the treatment for these diseases must be fast, precise and effective, in order to get this goal is important to identify and characterized microorganisms involved. Clinical diagnosis of ocular infections can be confirmed by several techniques based on microbiological test of ocular samples. These techniques includes classic microbiological test, where is necessary isolate microor‐ ganisms to characterize them by biochemical analysis; molecular biology techniques, end‐ point PCR, real time PCR, microarrays and aptamers (e. SOMAmers) can obtain results in a

However, in the last years, mass spectrometry approach has dramatically changed the mi‐ crobiological field. Microbiological identification by mass spectrometry has great advantag‐ es: 1) Culture and isolation of the microorganism is not necessary, so that fastidious microorganisms can be identified, 2) High sensitivity and accuracy for the microorganism identification results in a reduction of sample amount, that is common in ocular samples, and 3) Resistance markers and resistance profile can be determined at the same time of iden‐

In summary, the evolution of microbiological identification methods has improved treat‐ ments that impact in the prognosis of ocular infection, reducing complications and avoiding

This work was supported by "Fundación de Asistencia Privada Conde de Valenciana I.A.P."

blindness cases, and as a consequence life quality of patients will be better.

sults from Vitek-MS and Vitek 2 correlated in 93% [69].

**5. Conclusions**

14 Common Eye Infections

tification analysis.

**Acknowledgements**

with a very simple methodology and hardly any consumable cost [70].

short period time, as well as high sensitivity and specificity.

Victor Manuel Bautista-de Lucio1 , Mariana Ortiz-Casas1 , Luis Antonio Bautista-Hernández1 , Nadia Luz López-Espinosa1 , Carolina Gaona-Juárez1 , Ángel Gustavo Salas-Lais1,2, Dulce Aurora Frausto-del Río1 and Herlinda Mejía-López1

1 Microbiology and Ocular Proteomics Department, Research Unit, Institute of Ophthalmol‐ ogy "Fundación de Asistencia Privada Conde de Valenciana I.A.P.", Mexico City, Mexico

2 Immunoparasitology Laboratory, Parasitology Department, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City, Mexico
