Performance evaluation of the NG-TEST CARBA 5 and Genobio K.N.I.V.O. detection K-Set lateral flow assays for the detection of carbapenemases

ABSTRACT Infection with carbapenemase-producing organisms (CPOs) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality among hospitalized patients. Thus, the identification of CPOs is an important function of clinical microbiology laboratories. This study evaluates the performance of two lateral fl...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Chloe N. Calica, Neda Domjacic, Jennifer Dacanay, Ethel C. de Carvalho Lopes, Mariel S. Mardoquio, Yan Chen, Ramzi Fattouh
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: American Society for Microbiology 2025-08-01
Series:Microbiology Spectrum
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/spectrum.00441-25
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849395981839237120
author Chloe N. Calica
Neda Domjacic
Jennifer Dacanay
Ethel C. de Carvalho Lopes
Mariel S. Mardoquio
Yan Chen
Ramzi Fattouh
author_facet Chloe N. Calica
Neda Domjacic
Jennifer Dacanay
Ethel C. de Carvalho Lopes
Mariel S. Mardoquio
Yan Chen
Ramzi Fattouh
author_sort Chloe N. Calica
collection DOAJ
description ABSTRACT Infection with carbapenemase-producing organisms (CPOs) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality among hospitalized patients. Thus, the identification of CPOs is an important function of clinical microbiology laboratories. This study evaluates the performance of two lateral flow assays (LFAs), the NG-Test CARBA 5 (CARBA 5) and Genobio K.N.I.V.O. Detection K-Set (Genobio), for the detection of carbapenemases using well-characterized clinical and reference isolates of gram-negative bacterial species. Both LFAs are designed to detect KPC, NDM, VIM, IMP, and OXA-48-like carbapenemases from bacterial growth within 15 minutes. In total, 152 isolates were tested: 10 Acinetobacter baumannii, 12 Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and 130 from various Enterobacterales. Among these, 132 harbored a carbapenemase, and 20 were carbapenemase-negative. Additionally, LFAs were scored for background color and test indicator line intensity. For Enterobacterales, the CARBA 5 had an overall positive agreement of 100%, while Genobio had a positive agreement of 98.5% because of a failure to detect IMP in a Klebsiella pneumoniae isolate and false cross-reactivity for NDM and OXA-48 in a KPC-positive Morganella morganii. Both LFAs demonstrated a positive agreement of 100% among carbapenemase-producing A. baumannii and P. aeruginosa isolates. Neither LFA falsely detected carbapenemases among carbapenemase-negative isolates, nor was any positivity observed among isolates that carried an off-target carbapenemase. In terms of test indicator line intensity, both LFAs showed comparable performance; however, the Genobio LFA displayed a propensity for higher background signal. Overall, both LFAs demonstrated very good performance in detecting select carbapenemases and offered a fast turnaround time, straightforward interpretation, and minimal hands-on time.IMPORTANCEThis study contributes to the field by providing additional information on the performance of two commercial tests, known generally as lateral flow assays (LFA). These assays are used to identify a family of proteins, called carbapenemases, that cause antibiotic resistance and greatly limit the choices of antibiotics that can be used to treat infection. Our study evaluates the performance of two LFAs in a variety of bacteria, including some that are commonly studied (members of the Enterobacterales) as well as others where less test performance information is available (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii). Our findings show that the LFAs provide a fast turnaround time and require minimal hands-on time in comparison to other tests. In addition, we provide information about practical factors that could negatively affect how the results are interpreted in busy clinical laboratories, such as the ease of “seeing” and interpreting the results.
format Article
id doaj-art-1a396cba14ea452ebcd6ae441eb0f7ec
institution Kabale University
issn 2165-0497
language English
publishDate 2025-08-01
publisher American Society for Microbiology
record_format Article
series Microbiology Spectrum
spelling doaj-art-1a396cba14ea452ebcd6ae441eb0f7ec2025-08-20T03:39:28ZengAmerican Society for MicrobiologyMicrobiology Spectrum2165-04972025-08-0113810.1128/spectrum.00441-25Performance evaluation of the NG-TEST CARBA 5 and Genobio K.N.I.V.O. detection K-Set lateral flow assays for the detection of carbapenemasesChloe N. Calica0Neda Domjacic1Jennifer Dacanay2Ethel C. de Carvalho Lopes3Mariel S. Mardoquio4Yan Chen5Ramzi Fattouh6Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaDivision of Microbiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaDivision of Microbiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaDivision of Microbiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaDivision of Microbiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaDivision of Microbiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaDivision of Microbiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaABSTRACT Infection with carbapenemase-producing organisms (CPOs) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality among hospitalized patients. Thus, the identification of CPOs is an important function of clinical microbiology laboratories. This study evaluates the performance of two lateral flow assays (LFAs), the NG-Test CARBA 5 (CARBA 5) and Genobio K.N.I.V.O. Detection K-Set (Genobio), for the detection of carbapenemases using well-characterized clinical and reference isolates of gram-negative bacterial species. Both LFAs are designed to detect KPC, NDM, VIM, IMP, and OXA-48-like carbapenemases from bacterial growth within 15 minutes. In total, 152 isolates were tested: 10 Acinetobacter baumannii, 12 Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and 130 from various Enterobacterales. Among these, 132 harbored a carbapenemase, and 20 were carbapenemase-negative. Additionally, LFAs were scored for background color and test indicator line intensity. For Enterobacterales, the CARBA 5 had an overall positive agreement of 100%, while Genobio had a positive agreement of 98.5% because of a failure to detect IMP in a Klebsiella pneumoniae isolate and false cross-reactivity for NDM and OXA-48 in a KPC-positive Morganella morganii. Both LFAs demonstrated a positive agreement of 100% among carbapenemase-producing A. baumannii and P. aeruginosa isolates. Neither LFA falsely detected carbapenemases among carbapenemase-negative isolates, nor was any positivity observed among isolates that carried an off-target carbapenemase. In terms of test indicator line intensity, both LFAs showed comparable performance; however, the Genobio LFA displayed a propensity for higher background signal. Overall, both LFAs demonstrated very good performance in detecting select carbapenemases and offered a fast turnaround time, straightforward interpretation, and minimal hands-on time.IMPORTANCEThis study contributes to the field by providing additional information on the performance of two commercial tests, known generally as lateral flow assays (LFA). These assays are used to identify a family of proteins, called carbapenemases, that cause antibiotic resistance and greatly limit the choices of antibiotics that can be used to treat infection. Our study evaluates the performance of two LFAs in a variety of bacteria, including some that are commonly studied (members of the Enterobacterales) as well as others where less test performance information is available (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii). Our findings show that the LFAs provide a fast turnaround time and require minimal hands-on time in comparison to other tests. In addition, we provide information about practical factors that could negatively affect how the results are interpreted in busy clinical laboratories, such as the ease of “seeing” and interpreting the results.https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/spectrum.00441-25clinical microbiologymedical microbiologybacteriaantibiotic resistancecarbapenemasediagnostics
spellingShingle Chloe N. Calica
Neda Domjacic
Jennifer Dacanay
Ethel C. de Carvalho Lopes
Mariel S. Mardoquio
Yan Chen
Ramzi Fattouh
Performance evaluation of the NG-TEST CARBA 5 and Genobio K.N.I.V.O. detection K-Set lateral flow assays for the detection of carbapenemases
Microbiology Spectrum
clinical microbiology
medical microbiology
bacteria
antibiotic resistance
carbapenemase
diagnostics
title Performance evaluation of the NG-TEST CARBA 5 and Genobio K.N.I.V.O. detection K-Set lateral flow assays for the detection of carbapenemases
title_full Performance evaluation of the NG-TEST CARBA 5 and Genobio K.N.I.V.O. detection K-Set lateral flow assays for the detection of carbapenemases
title_fullStr Performance evaluation of the NG-TEST CARBA 5 and Genobio K.N.I.V.O. detection K-Set lateral flow assays for the detection of carbapenemases
title_full_unstemmed Performance evaluation of the NG-TEST CARBA 5 and Genobio K.N.I.V.O. detection K-Set lateral flow assays for the detection of carbapenemases
title_short Performance evaluation of the NG-TEST CARBA 5 and Genobio K.N.I.V.O. detection K-Set lateral flow assays for the detection of carbapenemases
title_sort performance evaluation of the ng test carba 5 and genobio k n i v o detection k set lateral flow assays for the detection of carbapenemases
topic clinical microbiology
medical microbiology
bacteria
antibiotic resistance
carbapenemase
diagnostics
url https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/spectrum.00441-25
work_keys_str_mv AT chloencalica performanceevaluationofthengtestcarba5andgenobioknivodetectionksetlateralflowassaysforthedetectionofcarbapenemases
AT nedadomjacic performanceevaluationofthengtestcarba5andgenobioknivodetectionksetlateralflowassaysforthedetectionofcarbapenemases
AT jenniferdacanay performanceevaluationofthengtestcarba5andgenobioknivodetectionksetlateralflowassaysforthedetectionofcarbapenemases
AT ethelcdecarvalholopes performanceevaluationofthengtestcarba5andgenobioknivodetectionksetlateralflowassaysforthedetectionofcarbapenemases
AT marielsmardoquio performanceevaluationofthengtestcarba5andgenobioknivodetectionksetlateralflowassaysforthedetectionofcarbapenemases
AT yanchen performanceevaluationofthengtestcarba5andgenobioknivodetectionksetlateralflowassaysforthedetectionofcarbapenemases
AT ramzifattouh performanceevaluationofthengtestcarba5andgenobioknivodetectionksetlateralflowassaysforthedetectionofcarbapenemases