Prevalence, virulence factors and antifungal susceptibility of oral isolates of Candida albicans from patients with cystic fibrosis in Mexico

Background

Candida species are frequently isolated from the oral cavity of patients with cystic fibrosis. However, the information on the role of Candida in cystic fibrosis is scarce.

Aims

This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence, virulence profile and antifungal susceptibility of oral isolates of Candida albicans recovered from patients with cystic fibrosis.

Methods

Oropharyngeal swab samples were collected from sixty-five cystic fibrosis patients and sixty-five healthy individuals. Candida isolates were identified by MALDI-TOF VITEK-MS. Proteinase, phospholipase and esterase activity, biofilm production and level expression of ALS, SAP and PLB genes in C. albicans were evaluated. Minimal inhibitory concentration values were determined by means of an antifungal susceptibility test.

Results

Oral Candida colonization in cystic fibrosis patients was 66.15%, while in healthy individuals was 36.92%. C. albicans was the most frequently isolated species. C. albicans strains from cystic fibrosis patients were high producers of protease and biofilm, and had higher expression levels of adhesin and protease-associated genes in comparison with healthy subjects. Among the C. albicans strains isolated from cystic fibrosis patients, 18.91% were resistant to itraconazole, while 16.21% exhibited resistance to ketoconazole and fluconazole, and only one strain was resistant to voriconazole.

Conclusions

This work represents a surveillance study on virulence patterns and antifungal susceptibility of Candida from the oropharyngeal tract in cystic fibrosis.