Species distribution and in vitro antifungal susceptibility of oral yeast isolates from Tanzanian HIV-infected patients with primary and recurrent oropharyngeal candidiasis

• Published in: BMC microbiology Vol. 8; no. 1; p. 135
• Main Authors: Hamza, Omar J M, Matee, Mecky I N, Moshi, Mainen J, Simon, Elison N M, Mugusi, Ferdinand, Mikx, Frans H M, Helderman, Wim H van Palenstein, Rijs, Antonius J M M, van der Ven, André J A M, Verweij, Paul E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 12.08.2008; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Adult; AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections - drug therapy; AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections - epidemiology; AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections - microbiology; AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections - pathology; Antifungal Agents - pharmacology; Candida; Candida albicans; Candida albicans - drug effects; Candida albicans - isolation & purification; Candidiasis; Candidiasis, Oral - epidemiology; Candidiasis, Oral - microbiology; Candidiasis, Oral - pathology; Care and treatment; Diagnosis; Diseases; Female; Health aspects; HIV patients; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Identification and classification; Male; Medical examination; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Oropharynx - microbiology; Recurrence; Risk factors; Tanzania - epidemiology; Yeasts - drug effects; Yeasts - isolation & purification; Tanzania; Netherlands
• ISSN: 1471-2180; 1471-2180
• DOI: 10.1186/1471-2180-8-135

In Tanzania, little is known on the species distribution and antifungal susceptibility profiles of yeast isolates from HIV-infected patients with primary and recurrent oropharyngeal candidiasis. A total of 296 clinical oral yeasts were isolated from 292 HIV-infected patients with oropharyngeal candidiasis at the Muhimbili National Hospital, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Identification of the yeasts was performed using standard phenotypic methods. Antifungal susceptibility to fluconazole, itraconazole, miconazole, clotrimazole, amphotericin B and nystatin was assessed using a broth microdilution format according to the guidelines of the Clinical and Laboratory Standard Institute (CLSI; M27-A2). Candida albicans was the most frequently isolated species from 250 (84.5%) patients followed by C. glabrata from 20 (6.8%) patients, and C. krusei from 10 (3.4%) patients. There was no observed significant difference in species distribution between patients with primary and recurrent oropharyngeal candidiasis, but isolates cultured from patients previously treated were significantly less susceptible to the azole compounds compared to those cultured from antifungal naïve patients. C. albicans was the most frequently isolated species from patients with oropharyngeal candidiasis. Oral yeast isolates from Tanzania had high level susceptibility to the antifungal agents tested. Recurrent oropharyngeal candidiasis and previous antifungal therapy significantly correlated with reduced susceptibility to azoles antifungal agents.