In Vitro Susceptibilities of Candida spp. to Caspofungin: Four Years of Global Surveillance

• Published in: Journal of Clinical Microbiology 2006-03, Vol.44 (3), p.760-763
• Main Authors: Pfaller, M. A, Boyken, L, Hollis, R. J, Messer, S. A, Tendolkar, S, Diekema, D. J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antifungal Agents - pharmacology; Biological and medical sciences; Candida - classification; Candida - drug effects; Candida - isolation & purification; Candida albicans; Candida rugosa; Candidiasis - drug therapy; Candidiasis - microbiology; Drug Resistance, Fungal; Echinocandins; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; In Vitro Techniques; Infectious diseases; Lipopeptides; Medical sciences; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Microbiology; Miscellaneous; Mycology; Peptides, Cyclic - pharmacology; Species Specificity; Time Factors
• ISSN: 0095-1137; 1098-660X; 1098-5530
• DOI: 10.1128/JCM.44.3.760-763.2006

Caspofungin is being used increasingly as therapy for invasive candidiasis. Prospective sentinel surveillance for emergence of in vitro resistance to caspofungin among invasive Candida spp. isolates is indicated. We determined the in vitro activity of caspofungin against 8,197 invasive (bloodstream or sterile-site) unique patient isolates of Candida collected from 91 medical centers worldwide from 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2004. We performed antifungal susceptibility testing according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI, formerly NCCLS) M27-A2 method and used a 24-h prominent inhibition endpoint for determination of the MIC. Of 8,197 invasive Candida spp. isolates, species distribution was as follows: 54% Candida albicans, 14% C. glabrata, 14% C. parapsilosis, 11% C. tropicalis, 3% C. krusei, and 4% other Candida spp. Overall, caspofungin was very active against Candida (MIC₅₀/MIC₉₀, 0.03/0.25 [micro]g/ml; 98.2% were inhibited at a MIC of