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

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

BACKGROUND: Animal skin provides an ideal medium for the propagation of microorganisms and it is used like raw material in the tannery and footware industry. The aim of this study was to evaluate and identify the microbial load in oropharyngeal mucosa of tannery employees. METHODS: The health risk was estimated based on the identification of microorganisms found in the oropharyngeal mucosa samples. The study was conducted in a tanners group and a control group. Samples were taken from oropharyngeal mucosa and inoculated on plates with selective medium. In the samples, bacteria were identified by 16S ribosomal DNA analysis and the yeasts through a presumptive method. In addition, the sensitivity of these microorganisms to antibiotics/antifungals was evaluated. RESULTS: The identified bacteria belonged to the families Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonadaceae, Neisseriaceae, Alcaligenaceae, Moraxellaceae, and Xanthomonadaceae, of which some species are considered as pathogenic or opportunistic microorganisms; these bacteria were not present in the control group. Forty-two percent of bacteria identified in the tanners group are correlated with respiratory diseases. Yeasts were also identified, including the following species: Candida glabrata, Candida tropicalis, Candida albicans, and Candida krusei. Regarding the sensitivity test of bacteria identified in the tanners group, 90% showed sensitivity to piperacillin/tazobactam, 87% showed sensitivity to ticarcillin/clavulanic acid, 74% showed sensitivity to ampicillin/sulbactam, and 58% showed sensitivity to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid. CONCLUSION: Several of the bacteria and yeast identified in the oropharyngeal mucosa of tanners have been correlated with infections in humans and have already been reported as airborne microorganisms in this working environment, representing a health risk for workers.
Alcaligenaceae ; Animals ; Bacteria ; Candida ; Candida albicans ; Candida glabrata ; Candida tropicalis ; DNA, Ribosomal ; Enterobacteriaceae ; Humans ; Moraxellaceae ; Mucous Membrane* ; Neisseriaceae ; Pseudomonadaceae ; Skin ; Xanthomonadaceae ; Yeasts

BACKGROUND: Candidemia has increased with an increasing number of people in the high risk group and so has become more important. This study was conducted to investigate the isolation rate of Candida species from candidemia patients and the change in rate of antifungal resistance. METHODS: At a single tertiary care hospital, 1,120 blood cultures positive for Candida species from 1997 to 2016 were investigated according to date of culture, gender, age, and hospital department. RESULTS: During the investigation period, the number of candidemia patients increased from 14 in 1997 to 84 in 2016. The most common organism identified during the two decades was Candida albicans (40.8%), followed by Candida parapsilosis (24.1%), Candida tropicalis (13.2%), and Candida glabrata (12.8%). C. glabrata was relatively common in females (45.5%) compared to males. The age group 40-89 years was more frequently infected than other age groups, and the most frequent isolates according to age group were C. albicans in neonate (66.7%), C. parapsilosis in 1-9-year-olds (41.7%), and C. glabrata in those aged ≥60 years (range; 13.3%–20.0%). According to the visited departments, C. albicans, C. glabrata, and Candida haemulonii were more common in medical departments, while C. parapsilosis was more common in surgical departments. In the antifungal susceptibility test, a rising trend of azole resistance among C. albicans and C. glabrata was observed in recent years. CONCLUSION: In this study, it was confirmed that the isolation rate of Candida species in blood is different by age, gender, and hospital department, and the distribution of isolated Candida species changed over time. The resistance patterns of antifungal agents are also changing, and continuous monitoring and proper selection of antifungal agents are necessary.
Antifungal Agents ; Candida albicans ; Candida glabrata ; Candida tropicalis ; Candida* ; Candidemia* ; Danazol ; Drug Resistance, Fungal* ; Female ; Hospital Departments ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Prevalence* ; Tertiary Healthcare*

Candida spp. is an invasive infectious fungus, a major risk factor that can increase morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients. In this study, 2,508 Candida spp. were isolated from various clinical specimens collected from university hospitals from July 2011 to October 2014. They were identified in order to determine isolation frequencies and characteristics by specimen, gender, age group, year, season, and month. The strain-specific isolation rate of Candida spp. is in the order of Candida albicans (1,218 strains, 48.56%), Candida glabrata (416 strains, 16.59%), Candida utilis (305 strains, 12.16%), Candida tropicalis (304 strains, 12.12%), and Candida parapsilosis (116 strains, 4.63%) and these five species accounted for more than 94% of the total strains. Of the specimens, Candida spp. were most frequently isolated from urine-catheter, followed by urine-voided, blood, sputum, other, open pus, vaginal discharge, Tip, ear discharge, bronchial aspiration and bile, in that order. Looking at the age distribution, the detection rate of patients in their 60s and older was significantly higher at 75.8% (1,900/2,508). The detection rate of patients in their 20s and younger was shown to be very low at 2.55% (64/2,508). By year, the detection rate of non-albicans Candida spp. showed a tendency to gradually increase each year compared with C. albicans. As isolation of Candida spp. from clinical samples at the specie level can vary depending on characteristics of the patient, sample, season, etc., continual studies are required.
Age Distribution ; Bile ; Candida albicans ; Candida glabrata ; Candida tropicalis ; Candida* ; Ear ; Fungi ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Mortality ; Risk Factors ; Seasons ; Sputum ; Suppuration ; Vaginal Discharge

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

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