Strain Variation Among<i>Candida</i>Species: Application of Various Typing Methods to Study the Epidemiology and Pathogenesis of Candidiasis in Hospitalized Patients

Pfaller, Michael A.

doi:10.1017/s0195941700066224

Cited by 11 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 32 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Typing systems for the medically important fungi, however, have not received the same attention. Systems available for C. albicans have been reviewed (70,79,107,113); most are based on phenotypic characteristics. More recently, DNA techniques have been developed that will aid in furthering our knowledge about this important human pathogen and also provide better methods for strain delineation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Candida albicans strain delineation

Merz

1990

Clin Microbiol Rev

118

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Candida albicans is a major opportunistic pathogen causing a wide spectrum of disease in human beings. Methods for strain delineation of this species to assess or predict virulence or to conduct epidemiologic or pathogenetic investigations have been developed. Although factors associated with virulence have been identified, there is no rapid system to quantitate them in a clinical laboratory. Therefore, many typing methods are based on variable phenotypic characteristics within this species including morphotyping, serotyping, antibiogram, resistogram typing, biotyping, biotyping based on commercial carbon assimilation patterns, enzyme profiles, sensitivity to yeast killer toxins, and typing based on protein variability. Phenotypically defined strains generally do not correlate with the pathogenic potential of a strain with the exception of morphotyping. However, these methods can be useful in epidemiologic investigations; for example, they have revealed that most individuals harbor one strain and that infections are frequently due to an endogenous strain. Problems with these methods usually relate to their discriminatory power. When this is maximized, reproducibility (especially between laboratories) suffers. Recently, methods based on differences in DNA structure (genotyping) for strain delineation have been developed, including electrophoretic karyotyping and restriction enzyme fragment length polymorphisms. The development of a computer-assisted data bank and analysis for these genotypic strain delineators will open investigations into the pathogenesis of this infection and permit epidemiologic studies previously not possible with this important human pathogen.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Candida albicans strain delineation

Merz

1990

Clin Microbiol Rev

118

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In part this may be due to the lack of suitable epidemiologic markers and failure to recognize the possibility of strain variation among the different species of Candida. 13,14 General Guidelines for the Application of Epidemiologic Typing Systems…”

Section: Nosocomial Pathogensmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…13,14,[29][30][31][32][33][34] This method relies on DNA extraction, digestion of the genomic DNA with one or more restriction endonuclease enzymes, and electrophoresis, resulting in DNA of various restriction lengths producing, in a gel, unique patterns that are analogous to fingerprints ( Fig. 2-1).…”

Section: Restriction Endonuclease Analysis Of Genomic Dnamentioning

confidence: 99%

The Use of Molecular Techniques for Epidemiologic Typing of Candida Species

Pfaller¹

1992

Current Topics in Medical Mycology

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…However, the systemic antifungal agents themselves are toxic to the patient (4,6). Hence, Candida sepsis continues to persist as a significant problem for burn (16) and other immunocompromised (2,5,9,17) patients.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Since candidiasis is so difficult to treat, an active program of prevention of the infection may be an effective way to attack this disease. The formulation of such a program, however, requires detailed information about Candida pathogenesis and epidemiology in burn patients (17). Information about C. albicans would be of prime importance, since this species is the one most often cultured from burn patients (1) and, in general, is considered to be the most virulent (11).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization of Candida isolates from pediatric burn patients

et al. 1988

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

To provide more detailed information about Candida epidemiology and pathogenesis in pediatric burn patients, Candida isolates from 113 patients collected over 3 years were identified at the species level and the serotypes and biotypes of the C. albicans isolates were determined. A total of 85% of the patients were colonized or infected by C. albicans, 18% by C. tropicalis, and 11% by C. parapsilosis. Although colonization or infection often was found at multiple sites and times, 87% of the patients were colonized or infected by only one Candida species or strain; the other 13% showed multiple colonizations or infections, some of which occurred simultaneously at the same site. C. albicans biotyping determined the tolerance of the isolates to pH (pH 1.4) and sait; flucytosine, borate, and safranine resistance; and ability to produce proteinase and assimilate urea, sorbose, and citrate; results are expressed as three-digit numbers. For isolates from three different anatomical sites, the distribution of the nine biotype characteristics was similar in all cases but one. Significantly more fecal than wound or throat isolates were resistant to safranine. Sixty-four different serotype-biotype combinations were found in the 96 patients with C. albicans infections or colonizations. Twenty-nine percent of ail C. albicans isolates had the partial biotype-57, whiie 20 of the 96 patients had specifically serotype B, biotype 557 colonizations or infections. Eleven patients had the B557 infection when admitted; nine patients acquired the yeast in-house. Thirty percent of the C. albicans isolated from 23 adult patients at a nearby hospital also showed the-57 biotype pattern, suggesting that C. albicans isolates expressing this biotype are either extremely prevalent in nature or are more virulent than other C. albicans isolates.

show abstract

Strain Variation AmongCandidaSpecies: Application of Various Typing Methods to Study the Epidemiology and Pathogenesis of Candidiasis in Hospitalized Patients

Cited by 11 publications

References 32 publications

Candida albicans strain delineation

Candida albicans strain delineation

The Use of Molecular Techniques for Epidemiologic Typing of Candida Species

Characterization of Candida isolates from pediatric burn patients

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About