Analysis of Candida albicans phenotypes from different geographical and anatomical sources.

Strain phenotypes of 330 Candida albicans isolates from five areas in the United States were determined on the basis of nine biochemical tests. Statistical analysis of the distribution of phenotypes revealed no significant differences among types from different anatomical sources. However, there were some differences among the phenotypes of strains from the different geographical areas, and there were substantial differences in biochemical phenotypes associated with strains susceptible and resistant to 5-fluorocytosine and between strains of serotypes A and B. Geographical differences in phenotypes of C. albicans were also noted between the 330 U.S. isolates and 247 isolates from Britain. Cluster analysis of the U.S. strains alone and of all of the U.S. and U.K. strains showed that C. albicans phenotypes can be grouped into fewer than 20 clusters with common biochemical properties.