Determination of germ tube, phospholipase, and proteinase production by bloodstream isolates of Candida albicans

Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical

Antonella Souza Mattei¹  Sydney Hartz Alves¹  Cecilia Bittencourt Severo¹  Luciana Da Silva Guazzelli¹  Flavio De Mattos Oliveira¹  Luiz Carlos Severo¹ 

关键词: Virulence;    Germ tube;    Phospholipase;    Proteinase;    Candida albicans;    Candidemia;   

DOI  :  10.1590/0037-8682-0045-2013

来源: SciELO

【 摘 要 】

Introduction Candida albicans is a commensal and opportunistic agent that causes infection in immunocompromised individuals. Several attributes contribute to the virulence and pathogenicity of this yeast, including the production of germ tubes (GTs) and extracellular hydrolytic enzymes, particularly phospholipase and proteinase. This study aimed to investigate GT production and phospholipase and proteinase activities in bloodstream isolates of C. albicans. Methods One hundred fifty-three C. albicans isolates were obtained from blood samples and analyzed for GT, phospholipase, and proteinase production. The assays were performed in duplicate in egg yolk medium containing bovine serum albumin and human serum. Results Detectable amounts of proteinase were produced by 97% of the isolates, and 78% of the isolates produced phospholipase. GTs were produced by 95% of the isolates. A majority of the isolates exhibited low levels of phospholipase production and high levels of proteinase production. Conclusions Bloodstream isolates of C. albicans produce virulence factors such as GT and hydrolytic enzymes that enable them to cause infection under favorable conditions.

【 授权许可】

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