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Distribution, virulence attributes and antifungal susceptibility patterns of Candida parapsilosis complex strains

Ilknur Tosun1, Zeynep Akyuz, Nejla Cebeci Guler

  • 1Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey. ijune99@yahoo.com

Medical Mycology
|December 11, 2012
PubMed

Insights

The Candida parapsilosis complex, including C. parapsilosis sensu stricto, C. orthopsilosis, and C. metapsilosis, was studied in clinical samples. Most isolates were C. parapsilosis sensu stricto, with varying biofilm production and universal antifungal sensitivity.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Mycology
  • Clinical Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • The Candida parapsilosis complex is increasingly recognized as comprising three distinct species.
  • Understanding the distribution and characteristics of these species is crucial for effective clinical management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence of Candida parapsilosis complex species in clinical samples.
  • To characterize their antifungal susceptibility, enzymatic activities, and biofilm formation.
  • To assess their growth in total parenteral nutrition (TPN) solutions.

Main Methods:

  • Identification of 42 Candida parapsilosis complex isolates from 413 non-Candida albicans isolates.
  • Species identification using molecular or phenotypic methods.
  • Phenotypic testing for lipase, secreted aspartyl proteinase, biofilm production, and growth in TPN solution.
  • Antifungal susceptibility testing against various antifungal agents.

Main Results:

  • Candida parapsilosis sensu stricto was the predominant species (90.5%), followed by C. metapsilosis (7.1%) and C. orthopsilosis (2.4%).
  • All isolates grew in TPN solution. Biofilm formation was observed only in C. parapsilosis sensu stricto isolates (26.2%).
  • Lipase and acid proteinase activities were detected in 31-33% of isolates. All isolates were highly susceptible to voriconazole, caspofungin, and anidulafungin.

Conclusions:

  • Candida parapsilosis sensu stricto is the most common species within the complex in this clinical setting.
  • Differences in biofilm production exist among the species, with implications for device-associated infections.
  • The C. parapsilosis complex exhibits broad susceptibility to key antifungal agents, with minimal resistance observed.

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