Candida parapsilosis characterization in an outbreak setting

Candida parapsilosis is an important non-albicans species which infects hospitalized patients. No studies have correlated outbreak infections of C. parapsilosis with multiple virulence factors. We used DNA fingerprinting to determine genetic variability among isolates from a C. parapsilosis outbreak...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Emerging infectious diseases 2004-06, Vol.10 (6), p.1074-1081
Main Authors: Kuhn, Duncan M, Mikherjee, Pranab K, Clark, Thomas A, Pujol, Claude, Chandra, Jyotsna, Hajjeh, Rana A, Warnock, David W, Soil, David R, Ghannoum, Mahmoud A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
adherence
Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases - metabolism
Bacterial Adhesion - physiology
biofilm
Biofilms - growth & development
Blotting, Southern
Candida
Candida - enzymology
Candida - genetics
Candida - growth & development
Candida parapsilosis
Candidiasis - epidemiology
Candidiasis - microbiology
Cluster Analysis
Disease Outbreaks
DNA Fingerprinting
DNA, Fungal - chemistry
DNA, Fungal - genetics
Humans
Mississippi - epidemiology
outbreak
phospholipase
Phospholipases - metabolism
Phylogeny
secreted aspartyl proteases
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Summary:Candida parapsilosis is an important non-albicans species which infects hospitalized patients. No studies have correlated outbreak infections of C. parapsilosis with multiple virulence factors. We used DNA fingerprinting to determine genetic variability among isolates from a C. parapsilosis outbreak and from our clinical database. We compared phenotypic markers of pathogenesis, including adherence, biofilm formation, and protein secretion (secretory aspartic protease [SAP] and phospholipase). Adherence was measured as colony counts on silicone elastomer disks immersed in agar. Biofilms formed on disks were quantified by dry weight. SAP expression was measured by hydrolysis of bovine albumin; a colorimetric assay was used to quantitate phospholipase. DNA fingerprinting indicated that the outbreak isolates were clonal and genetically distinct from our database. Biofilm expression by the outbreak clone was greater than that of sporadic isolates (p < or =0.0005). Adherence and protein secretion did not correlate with strain pathogenicity. These results suggest that biofilm production plays a role in C. parapsilosis outbreaks.
ISSN:1080-6040
1080-6059
DOI:10.3201/eid1006.030873