Molecular discrimination and antifungal susceptibility profile of cryptic Candida albicans complex species isolated from patients in Iran
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Candida albicans complex species are well known as the main cause of candidiasis, particu- larly among susceptible individuals. In this study, we report the genetic diversity of Candida spp. and the antifungal suscep- tibility pattern of the cryptic C. albicans complex isolates in Kerman, Iran.
Materials and Methods: A total of 112 yeast isolates were obtained from different clinical samples, and molecular identifi- cation was performed. All C. albicans complex isolates were tested for susceptibility of them to amphotericin B, fluconazole, and itraconazole.
Results: The majority of clinical isolates were C. albicans complex (n=48) followed by C. glabrata complex (n=34), C. parapsilosis complex (n=21), and C. krusei (n=9). Among C. albicans complex, 45 isolates were C. albicans (94%), 2 iso- lates were C. dubliniensis (4%), and 1 isolate was C. africana (2%). Amphotericin B was the most active antifungal, whereas. 8.9% and 6.7% of the isolates were resistant to fluconazole and itraconazole, respectively.
Conclusion: Regarding the high incidence of Candida infections particularly in susceptible populations and the emergence of an infrequent yeast species with elevated MICs, which is indistinguishable with conventional methods, developing accu- rate molecular methods for laboratory diagnosis should be considered in the clinical setting.