Oral yeast carriage in HIV-infected and non-infected populations in Rosario, Argentina

ALICIA G. LUQUE; MARISA S. BIASOLI; MARÍA E. TOSELLO; ANDRÉS BINOLFI; SERGIO LUPO; HORTENSIA M. MAGARÓ

MYCOSES

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Año: 2009 vol. 52 p. 53 - 59

0933-7407

The objectives of the present study were: (i) to assess the frequency of oral colonisation byCandida species in HIV-positive patients and to compare it with a population of HIVnegativeindividuals, (ii) to determine the prevalence of C. dubliniensis in bothpopulations and (iii) to determine the susceptibility of C. dubliniensis and other Candidaspecies isolated from HIV-positive patients to the most commonly used antifungalagents. Oral samples were obtained from 101 HIV-positive and 108 HIV-negativesubjects. For yeast identification, we used morphology in cornmeal agar, the API 20CAux, growth at 45 C, D-xylose assimilation, morphology in sunflower seed agar andPCR. The frequency of isolation of Candida in HIV-positive patients was: C. albicans,60.7%; C. dubliniensis, 20.2%; C. glabrata, 5.6%; C. krusei, 5.6%; C. tropicalis, 4.5%;others, <5%. The frequency of isolation of Candida in HIV-negative patients was:C. albicans, 73.9%; C. tropicalis, 15.5%; C. dubliniensis, 2.1%; C. glabrata, 2.1%;C. parapsilosis, 2.1%; others, <5%. The oral colonisation by yeast in the HIV-positivepatients was higher than that in the HIV-negative subjects. The susceptibilities of 42Candida isolates to three antifungal agents were determined. All isolates of C. dubliniensiswere susceptible to fluconazole, although several individuals had been previously treatedwith this drug. Out of the 42 Candida isolates, 10 presented resistance to fluconazole and10 to itraconazole. The presence of Candida species, resistant to commonly usedantifungal agents, represents a potential risk in immunocompromised patients.