INTRODUCTION: Candida albicans is a commensal and opportunistic agent that causes infection in immunocompromised individuals. Several attributes contribute to the virulence and pathogenicity of this yeast, including the production of germ tubes (GTs) and extracellular hydrolytic enzymes, particularly phospholipase and proteinase. This study aimed to investigate GT production and phospholipase and proteinase activities in bloodstream isolates of C. albicans. METHODS: One hundred fifty-three C. albicans isolates were obtained from blood samples and analyzed for GT, phospholipase, and proteinase production. The assays were performed in duplicate in egg yolk medium containing bovine serum albumin and human serum. RESULTS: Detectable amounts of proteinase were produced by 97% of the isolates, and 78% of the isolates produced phospholipase. GTs were produced by 95% of the isolates. A majority of the isolates exhibited low levels of phospholipase production and high levels of proteinase production. CONCLUSIONS: Bloodstream isolates of C. albicans produce virulence factors such as GT and hydrolytic enzymes that enable them to cause infection under favorable conditions.
INTRODUCTION:Candida albicans is a commensal and opportunistic agent that causes infection in immunocompromised individuals. Several attributes contribute to the virulence and pathogenicity of this yeast, including the production of germ tubes (GTs) and extracellular hydrolytic enzymes, particularly phospholipase and proteinase. This study aimed to investigate GT production and phospholipase and proteinase activities in bloodstream isolates of C. albicans. METHODS: One hundred fifty-three C. albicans isolates were obtained from blood samples and analyzed for GT, phospholipase, and proteinase production. The assays were performed in duplicate in egg yolk medium containing bovine serum albumin and human serum. RESULTS: Detectable amounts of proteinase were produced by 97% of the isolates, and 78% of the isolates produced phospholipase. GTs were produced by 95% of the isolates. A majority of the isolates exhibited low levels of phospholipase production and high levels of proteinase production. CONCLUSIONS: Bloodstream isolates of C. albicans produce virulence factors such as GT and hydrolytic enzymes that enable them to cause infection under favorable conditions.
Authors: Lourimar Viana Nascimento F de Sousa; Vera Lúcia Santos; Andrea de Souza Monteiro; Marcus Vinicíus Dias-Souza; Sirlei Garcia Marques; Elaine Speziali de Faria; Elaine Alves de Oliveira Assunção; Simone Gonçalves Dos Santos; Juan Moises Zonis; Daniel Gomes de Alvarenga; Rodrigo Assunção de Holanda; Jaqueline Gontijo de Sousa; Kênia Valéria Dos Santos; Maria Aparecida de Resende Stoianoff Journal: BMC Infect Dis Date: 2016-02-23 Impact factor: 3.090
Authors: Mohd Sajjad Ahmad Khan; Fatimah Alshehrei; Saleh Bakheet Al-Ghamdi; Majid Abdullah Bamaga; Abdullah Safar Al-Thubiani; Mohammad Zubair Alam Journal: Future Sci OA Date: 2020-02-03