In Vitro Interaction of Geldanamycin with Triazoles and Echinocandins Against Common and Emerging Candida Species

Mycopathologia - The aim of this study was to determine the in vitro interactions of geldanamycin (Hsp90-inhibitor) with triazoles and echinocandins against common and emerging Candida species....     

Epidemiology of Candida Endocarditis

Current Fungal Infection Reports - Candida endocarditis is a rare infection that for many years has been associated with injection drug users in the community setting. Over the last...     

Fusarium eumartii Growth in Resistant and Susceptible Oak Species

Fusarium eumartii is a fungus associated with declining Quercus robur , in which it is found in the vessels. The response of oak species to infection is known to vary: Q. robur is susceptible , but Quercus cerris and Quercus pubescens are resistant. An experiment was carried out in 1996 and repeated in 1997, to examine how F. eumartii colonization differed in oak species that were susceptible or resistant to the fungus by counting the number of vessels with mycelium at various distances from the inoculation site in infected seedlings and by determining the amount of viable fungus in infected tissue. Infected vessels with mycelium were counted on sections (10  μ m thick) cut at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 cm from the inoculation site on 1-year-old inoculated seedlings as well as on sections cut every 2 cm to the seedling tip. The amount of viable fungus was determined by counting the colony forming units (CFUs) in stem segments from the same seedlings. Quercus robur seedlings had the greatest number of infected vessels and the greatest number of CFUs. Forty days after inoculation, the extent of vertical fungal spread was 28.12 cm in Q. robur , 3.15 cm in Q. cerris and 3.00 cm in Q. pubescens . The greatest number of CFUs was found in Q. robur at day 5 after inoculation. Analysis of variance confirmed the results.     

Modified Pagano Levin Medium to Isolate Candida Species

The use of Pagano Levin medium for primary isolation of Candida species from highly contaminated specimens proved unsatisfactory owing to overgrowth by bacteria and fungi. Addition of cycloheximide and chloramphenicol to the medium greatly improved results by inhibiting overgrowth. The additional inhibitors also altered rate of growth and degree of pigmentation reported for some of the Candida species.     

侵袭性热带念珠菌感染流行病学及药物敏感性

全球范围内,随着抗肿瘤药物、免疫抑制剂和广谱抗菌药物的使用,真菌感染的发病率显著提高,其中念珠菌感染占到绝大多数。目前热带念珠菌已经成为非白念珠菌中最常见的病原菌。我国热带念珠菌的临床分离率及对氟康唑及伏立康唑的耐药率都明显高于世界平均水平。但是,相比于白念珠菌,关于热带念珠菌的研究及相关临床信息相对较少。该文就侵袭性热带念珠菌感染危险因素、流行病学以及药物敏感性进行全面的综述。     

Effects of Antifungal Agents Alone and in Combination Against Candida glabrata Strains Susceptible or Resistant to Fluconazole

The rise of Candida spp. resistant to classic triazole antifungal agents has led to a search for new therapeutic options. Here, we evaluated combinations of antifungals in a checkerboard assay against two groups of Candida glabrata strains: one containing fluconazole-susceptible clinical isolates (FS) and another containing fluconazole-resistant laboratory derivative (FR). The most synergistic combination observed was amphotericin B + flucytosine (synergistic for 61.77 % of FS strains and 76.47 % of FR strains). The most antagonistic combination observed was ketoconazole + flucytosine (FS 61.77 % and FR 55.88 %). Surprisingly, most combinations evidenced indifferent interactions, and the best synergism appeared when amphotericin B and flucytosine were combined against both groups of isolates.     

Modulation of ERG Genes Expression in Clinical Isolates of Candida tropicalis Susceptible and Resistant to Fluconazole and Itraconazole

Mycopathologia - Candida tropicalis is a non-albicans Candida specie that causes candidosis in several countries, including Brazil. However, little is known about the mechanisms of drug resistance...     

Evaluation of the Adherence of Candida Species to Urinary Catheters

Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) are the most common kind of nosocomial infection. Recent years have seen a significant increase in numbers of infections caused by yeasts of the genus Candida. The adherence of a microorganism to the host surface is a decisive factor in the success of colonization and the pathogenesis of infection. The objective of this work was to evaluate the adherence of species of the genus Candida to urinary catheters. In vitro adherence to the sections of latex and silicon catheters of Candida albicans and Candida parapsilosis were studied. Adherence was measured by counting the number of adhering viable cells and the results were expressed as Colonies Forming Units per mL. The results demonstrated that the latex catheter facilitated adherence more than the silicon catheter (p < 0.01). The adherence of the C. albicans was significantly greater than C. parapsilosis on latex, but it was similar on silicon.     

Mycocinotyping of Some Unaffiliated Candida Species

Microbiology - The studied type strains from the phylogenetically unaffiliated Candida species are insensitive to mycocins of ascosporogenous yeasts of seven genera some of which were active...     

Epidemiology and molecular typing of Candida isolates from burn patients

This study, spread over a span of 2 years describes Candida infections in burn patients of an Indian hospital. A total of 220 burn patients were monitored and Candida could be isolated from 138 patients. A total of 228 different Candida species were obtained from various body locations of these patients. Species identification revealed that Candida albicans was the most predominant (45) followed by Candida tropicalis(33), Candida glabrata (13.5), C. parapsilosis (4), C. krusei (2.75) and C. kefyr (1.75). DNA fingerprinting of all C. albicans isolates was done by using CARE-2 probe. Fingerprinting analyses of all the C. albicans strains revealed that strains collected from different patients were different. It is noteworthy that patients with disseminated candidiasis had a similar, but unique strain isolated from all body locations, suggesting a possibility that commensal isolates might be turning pathogenic. Taken together, this is probably the first ever detailed survey of Candidainfections in burn patients in India and is expected to lead to better clinical management of this group of patients.     

Species characteristics of experimental Candida lung lesions

Intratracheal challenge of rabbits and intranasal challenge of white mice and guinea-pigs by C. albicans without the application of adhesive substances, produced candidiasis pneumonia running more severe course in mice than in rabbits. In guinea-pigs the disease was of medium severity. Specific features of pulmonary inflammation in rabbits were marked polynuclear and especially macrophage reactions, with the phagocyte activity high enough to ensure total elimination of pathogenic microorganisms in the animal. In white mice a weak macrophage reaction was actually a background for a predominant polynuclear reaction producing a massive polynuclear leukocyte disintegration. These processes, though eliminating pathogenic organisms both by phagocytosis and non-phagocytic mechanisms, lead to severe fatal pulmonary edema. Specific differences in experimental lung candidiasis reveal various manifestation of human lung candidiasis.     

Chronic recurrent vulvovaginitis is not only due to Candida

BackgroundRecurrent vulvovaginitis is a growing problem that affects millions of women worldwide. In many cases it is treated as vulvovaginal candidiasis, but there is not always microbiological confirmation.AimsTo determine the etiology of vulvovaginitis in a group of patients.MethodsThis is a cross-sectional study in which the data from the medical records of 316 adult patients who consulted for vulvovaginitis were analyzed. Eighty nine percent of the cases had already suffered previous episodes.ResultsThe median age was 34 (265 patients were between 16 and 45 years old). Yeasts were isolated in culture from 211 (66.8%) patients, although pseudo-hyphae and yeasts were observed in only 166 samples (52.5%) in the direct microscopic examination. Multiple predisposing factors were found, among which the use of contraceptives or previous antibiotics stand out. Most of the patients (almost 90%) had been treated with antifungals, with or without microbiological confirmation. Candida albicans was isolated in 187 (88.6%) patients, followed by Candida glabrata in 6 (2.8%) patients. Association with bacterial vaginosis was found in 35.1% and with intermediate bacterial microbiota in 33.2% of the cases. A remarkably high proportion of C. albicans isolates resistant to fluconazole (80.1%) and itraconazole (58.8%) was found.ConclusionsA microbiological analysis is essential to confirm the diagnosis of vulvovaginal candidiasis, whether simple, complicated, or recurrent. Identifying the isolated yeast species and determining its susceptibility to antifungal agents are particularly important.