BACKGROUND: CHROMagar Candida is a new differential medium that allows selective isolation and identification of clinically significant yeasts. We evaluated the use of this medium to identify Candida species directly from positive blood culture bottles. METHODS: A total of 152 positive blood culture bottles (51 Candida albicans, 29 Candida troficalis, 28 Candida parapsilosis, 26 Candida glabrata, 10 Candida krusei, 4 Candida pelliculosa. 1 Candida guilliermonidii, 3 C. albicans plus C. glabrata) were directly subcultures to CHROMagar (Hardy diagnostics. USA) and incubated for 48 h. Colony appearance on CHROMagar was assessed independently by three observers. RESULTS: CHROMagar correctly identified 95.4%, 92 1% and 91.4% of Candida app. from blood cultures by the three observers. respectively. There was 91.4% agree cent between the observers. Expected colony appearance on CHROMagar was 100% for C. albicans. 97.7% for C. tropicalis, 96.7% for C. krusei, 94 9% for C. glabrata but 88.1% for C. parapsilosis. Three mixed candidemias, not detected by conventional methods, were detected by CHROMagar. CONCLUSIONS: CHROMagar permits earlier recognition of major Cardida app. in positive blood cultures and more reliable detection of mixed candidemias.
Candida albicans ; Candida glabrata ; Candida* ; Candidemia ; Yeasts

Candida infection after total knee arthroplasty is very rare. The diagnosis is difficult due to lack of obvious clinical symptoms. Candida albicans is the most common strain in Candida infections after total knee arthroplasties and Candida glabrata has been reported in only 5 cases in the literature. We report here on a case of Candida glabrata infection after total knee arthroplasty, and this was treated by two-stage revision and using an antibiotics-loaded cement spacer.
Arthroplasty ; Candida ; Candida albicans ; Candida glabrata ; Knee ; Sprains and Strains

BACKGROUND: Fast identification of Candida glabrata is important, because empirical antifungal therapy for fungemia with C. glabrata and non-C. glabrata varies. We proposed an algorithm for rapid presumptive diagnosis to identify fungemia with C. glabrata using earlier or only growth from anaerobic bottles and longer time to positivity (TTP) in blood cultures. METHODS: Positivity and TTP using the BacT/Alert 3D system (bioMerieux Inc, USA) with resin bottles (FA Plus and FN Plus) were analyzed in 215 candidemia patients from June 2014 to June 2016 in a university-affiliated hospital in Korea. RESULTS: A higher proportion of earlier or only growth from anaerobic bottles was observed in C. glabrata (38.8%, 7/18) than in C. albicans (7.6%, 8/105), C. parapsilosis (10.5%, 4/138), and C. tropicalis (9.2%, 5/54) (P=0.006). The mean (±standard deviation) TTP for C. glabrata was 41.7 h (±16.3 h) compared with 26.7 h (±15.9 h) for C. albicans, 33.4 h (±8.4 h) for C. parapsilosis, and 23.1 h (±17.3 h) for C. tropicalis (P < 0.0001). We could predict fungemia with C. glabrata with a sensitivity of 94.4%, specificity of 63.9%, positive predictive value of 19.3%, and negative predictive value of 99.2% using a two-step algorithm: earlier or only growth from anaerobic bottles and TTP >31.4 h. CONCLUSION: This two-step algorithm in the BacT/Alert 3D system could be the basis for an initial empirical antifungal therapy for fungemia with C. glabrata prior to final identification.
Candida glabrata* ; Candida* ; Candidemia ; Diagnosis ; Fungemia* ; Humans ; Korea ; Sensitivity and Specificity

BACKGOUND: CHROMagar Candida is a new differential culture medium that allows selective isolation and identification of clinically important Candida species. However, no study of CHROMagar Candida in superficial cutaneous candidiasis has been reported in Korea. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of CHROMagar Candida to identify Candida species isolated from patients with cutaneous candidiasis. METHOD: A total of 95 strains isolated from 92 patients with candidiasis (70 Candida albicans, 9 Candida parapsilosis, 7 Candida guilliermondii, 1 Candida krusei, 1 Candida glabrata, 1 Candida tropicalis, 2 C. albicans plus C. parapsilosis, 1 C. albicans plus C. krusei) were subcultured to CHROMagar Candida (KOMED, Korea) and incubated for 48 hours. Colony appearance on CHROMagar Candida was assessed by two observers. RESULTS: Expected colony appearance on CHROMagar Candida was 100% for C. albicans, C. krusei, C. glabrata and C. tropicalis, respectively but 85.7% for C. guilliermondii and 77.8% for C. parapsilosis. Three mixed cultures of Candida species, not detected by conventional methods, were detected by CHROMagar Candida. CONCLUSION: CHROMagar Candida is a useful isolation medium capable of a rapid presumptive identification of Candida species and more reliable detection of mixed cultures in clinical specimens.
Candida albicans ; Candida glabrata ; Candida tropicalis ; Candida* ; Candidiasis ; Candidiasis, Cutaneous* ; Humans ; Korea

Pyruvate, an important organic acid, is widely used in the industries of pharmaceuticals, chemicals, agrochemicals, food additives and so on. Compared with the chemical method, biotechnological production of pyruvic acid is an alternative approach because of the low cost and high product quality. In this article, biosynthesis of pyruvate, including direct fermentative production and resting cell method as well as enzymatic method, was discussed. Furthermore, a comparison of these different methods was proposed. Since, a multi-vitamin auxotrophic strain of Torulopsis glabrata is the most competitive strain for industrial production of pyruvate, emphasis was therefore placed on the development of strains screening and fermentation optimization. Finally, some suggestions were put forward to improve the research in this field in the near future.
Biotechnology ; Candida glabrata ; metabolism ; Fermentation ; Oxygen ; pharmacology ; Pyruvic Acid ; metabolism

OBJECTIVEThe objective of this study is to study the distribution and molecular characteristics of the oral Saccharomyces albicans (S. albicans) in the cancer patients receiving chemotherapy.

METHODS390 cancer patients receiving chemotherapy were sampled by oral mucosal swab. The Candida species were identified by CHROMagar Candida differential medium. All the S. albicans were genotypic grouped by PCR using primers reported to span a transposable intron region in the 25S rDNA gene.

RESULTSThe frequency of oral Candida carriage of the cancer patients receiving chemotherapy was 53.85% (210/390). Most of them were Saccharomyces albicans, the frequency was 48.21% (188/390). The frequency of oral Candida glabrata carriage was 5.64% (22/390). Genotypic subgroup A, B, C of Saccharomyces albicans were determined, and genotypic group B was the predominant group 59.57% (112/188).

CONCLUSIONSaccharomyces albicans, especially genotypic subgroup B, rather than subgroup A, is the prevalence subpopulation in the oral Candida obtained from cancer patients receiving chemotherapy.

Candida ; Candida albicans ; Candida glabrata ; Female ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male ; Mouth Mucosa ; Neoplasms ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Saccharomyces

Despite the frequent occurrence of peritonitis in patients with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD), fungal peritonitis is uncommon and usually associated with antibiotics and immunodeficiency. Most of the fungal isolates are usually Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis, Candida guilliermondii or Candida torulopsis. The authors report a case of fungal CAPD related peritonitis due to Candida zeylanoides that occurred in a patient with the absence of the usual risk factors for fungal peritonitis. Treatment with intravenous fluconazole was successful.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Candida ; Candida albicans ; Candida glabrata ; Candidiasis ; Fluconazole ; Humans ; Peritoneal Dialysis ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory ; Peritonitis ; Risk Factors

Candida species are the most common cause of all cases of infectious esophagitis, and Candida albicans is the main causative organism of these infections. Candida glabrata has been considered a relatively nonpathogenic saprophyte of the normal flora of healthy individuals, rarely causing serious infection in human. However, following the widespread and increased use of broad-spectrum antibiotics and immunosuppressive therapy, the frequency of infections caused by C. glabrata has increased significantly. C. glabrata is of special importance because C. glabrata infections are associated with a highest mortality rate and resistant to azole antifungal agents, especially fluconazole. We report a case of C. glabrata esophagitis resistant to fluconazole but treated effectively with amphotericin B.
Amphotericin B ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Antifungal Agents ; Candida albicans ; Candida glabrata* ; Candida* ; Danazol ; Esophagitis* ; Fluconazole ; Humans ; Mortality

Candida species are the most common cause of all cases of infectious esophagitis, and Candida albicans is the main causative organism of these infections. Candida glabrata has been considered a relatively nonpathogenic saprophyte of the normal flora of healthy individuals, rarely causing serious infection in human. However, following the widespread and increased use of broad-spectrum antibiotics and immunosuppressive therapy, the frequency of infections caused by C. glabrata has increased significantly. C. glabrata is of special importance because C. glabrata infections are associated with a highest mortality rate and resistant to azole antifungal agents, especially fluconazole. We report a case of C. glabrata esophagitis resistant to fluconazole but treated effectively with amphotericin B.
Amphotericin B ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Antifungal Agents ; Candida albicans ; Candida glabrata* ; Candida* ; Danazol ; Esophagitis* ; Fluconazole ; Humans ; Mortality

PURPOSE: We evaluated epidemiological and clinical features of candidemia in neonates and children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical charts of hospitalized neonates and children with positive blood cultures for Candida species from September 1, 2000 through August 31, 2006. RESULTS: Among 39 total neonates and children with candidemia, the median age was 4 months (interquartile range, 1-28) and overall mortality was 33%. Candida species included: Candida albicans (56%), Candida parapsilosis (23%) and Candida glabrata (15%). There was a tendency of proportional increase of candidemia due to non-albicans species (13% in 2001 vs 91% in 2006; P=0.01). Compared with children older than 1 month of age, the proportion of C. parapsilosis was significantly higher in neonates with candidemia (58% vs 7%; P=0.001). C. albicans was isolated more commonly from those who had undergone surgical intervention before candidemia (55% vs 18%; P<0.05). C. parapsilosis was isolated more commonly from premature neonates (78% vs 27%; P=0.015). C. glabrata was isolated more commonly from those who had neutropenia before candidemia (67% vs 12%; P=0.011). CONCLUSION: Candidemia by C. albicans was more commonly in surgical patients; by C. parapsilosis in premature neonates; by C. glabrata in neutropenic patients.
Candida ; Candida albicans ; Candida glabrata ; Candidemia* ; Candidiasis, Invasive ; Child* ; Epidemiology* ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn* ; Mortality ; Neutropenia ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors