[Adhesion of clinical Candida albicans isolate to buccal epithelial cells]

Mucosal adherence and germ tube formation are considered to be important virulence factors of C. albicans. Adherence is a precondition for colonisation and invasion. We investigated 11 clinical isolates (among them 5 cases recovered from oesophageal thrush) for quantification of the two characteristics and correlated the results with clinical data. Adherence was measured on buccal epithelial cells and the continuous flow culture was used for quantification of germ tube formation. Adherence of strains recovered from clinically, culturally and serologically confirmed oesophageal thrush adhered stronger to buccal epithelial cells than isolates from patients with heavy colonisation without signs of candidosis. Strains with stronger adherence showed a significantly faster and an increased germ tube formation in the continuous flow culture. Strains from oesophageal thrush therefore show a more marked expression of the investigated virulence factors. Therefore a good adherence is a necessity for infection of the oesophagus by C. albicans. The preferential isolation of C. albicans from oesophageal thrush (> 90%) supports this assumption.