Development and evaluation of the nuclisens basic kit NASBA for the detection of RNA from Candida species frequently resistant to antifungal drugs.

We describe a Nucleic Acid Sequence Based Amplification (NASBA) protocol to detect 6 different Candida species (Candida krusei, Candida glabrata, Candida inconspicua, Candida dubliniensis, Candida norvegensis, Candida lusitaniae) and compare it to a PCR assay. NASBA showed a sensitivity of 1 Colony Forming Unit and detected RNA from all 6 Candida species within 1 working day. All 5 patients with documented candidiasis showed identical results by both methods. This assay offers a sensitive, specific and fast possibility to detect yeast RNA.