Species Distribution, Characterization, and Antifungal Susceptibility Patterns of <i>Candida</i> Isolates Causing Oral and Vulvovaginal Candidiasis in Chile

Background: Oral candidiasis (OC) and vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) are infections caused by species belonging to the genus <i>Candida</i>. In Chile, epidemiological studies on OC/VVC are scarce, leading to an overestimation of the prevalence of <i>C. albicans</i>. Additiona...

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Main Authors: Francisca Nahuelcura, Eduardo Álvarez Duarte
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-07-01
Series:Antibiotics
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/14/7/712
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author Francisca Nahuelcura
Eduardo Álvarez Duarte
author_facet Francisca Nahuelcura
Eduardo Álvarez Duarte
author_sort Francisca Nahuelcura
collection DOAJ
description Background: Oral candidiasis (OC) and vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) are infections caused by species belonging to the genus <i>Candida</i>. In Chile, epidemiological studies on OC/VVC are scarce, leading to an overestimation of the prevalence of <i>C. albicans</i>. Additionally, awareness of the prevalence of species phenotypically and genotypically similar to <i>C. albicans</i> is lacking. The clinical impact of non-albicans species in cases of OC/VVC is also often underestimated. This study aims to determine the distribution of <i>Candida</i> species, their phenotypic and molecular characteristics, and their antifungal susceptibility patterns in incidents of oral and vulvovaginal candidiasis in Chile. Methods: A descriptive analysis was conducted on 101 isolates of <i>Candida</i> spp. obtained from OC/VVC cases. The identification of <i>Candida</i> species was performed using both phenotypic and molecular techniques. Antifungal susceptibility testing was carried out using the Sensititre YeastOne system. Results: Among the analyzed isolates, 89.1% were identified as <i>C. albicans</i>, while 10.9% were categorized as non-albicans species, including <i>C. dubliniensis</i>, <i>C. glabrata sensu stricto</i>, <i>C. bracarensis</i>, <i>C. tropicalis</i>, <i>C. lusitaniae</i>, and <i>C. parapsilosis sensu stricto</i>. The susceptibility pattern was predominantly susceptible, with only 10.9% of the total strains demonstrating resistance, and low antifungal activity in vitro was observed for Fluconazole, Voriconazole, and Posaconazole. Conclusions: The most prevalent species causing OC/VVC in Chile is <i>C. albicans</i>. This study also presents the first report of <i>C. lusitaniae</i> as a causal agent of VVC in the country. The identification of azole-resistant strains emphasizes the critical role of laboratory diagnosis in VVC cases, thereby preventing potential treatment failures. No resistance was observed in the strains associated with OC.
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spelling doaj-art-3bd7f5237fa14c75bcae60f09e2d33a82025-07-25T13:11:26ZengMDPI AGAntibiotics2079-63822025-07-0114771210.3390/antibiotics14070712Species Distribution, Characterization, and Antifungal Susceptibility Patterns of <i>Candida</i> Isolates Causing Oral and Vulvovaginal Candidiasis in ChileFrancisca Nahuelcura0Eduardo Álvarez Duarte1Mycology Unit, Microbiology and Mycology Program, Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of Chile, Av. Independencia 1027, Santiago 8380453, ChileMycology Unit, Microbiology and Mycology Program, Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of Chile, Av. Independencia 1027, Santiago 8380453, ChileBackground: Oral candidiasis (OC) and vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) are infections caused by species belonging to the genus <i>Candida</i>. In Chile, epidemiological studies on OC/VVC are scarce, leading to an overestimation of the prevalence of <i>C. albicans</i>. Additionally, awareness of the prevalence of species phenotypically and genotypically similar to <i>C. albicans</i> is lacking. The clinical impact of non-albicans species in cases of OC/VVC is also often underestimated. This study aims to determine the distribution of <i>Candida</i> species, their phenotypic and molecular characteristics, and their antifungal susceptibility patterns in incidents of oral and vulvovaginal candidiasis in Chile. Methods: A descriptive analysis was conducted on 101 isolates of <i>Candida</i> spp. obtained from OC/VVC cases. The identification of <i>Candida</i> species was performed using both phenotypic and molecular techniques. Antifungal susceptibility testing was carried out using the Sensititre YeastOne system. Results: Among the analyzed isolates, 89.1% were identified as <i>C. albicans</i>, while 10.9% were categorized as non-albicans species, including <i>C. dubliniensis</i>, <i>C. glabrata sensu stricto</i>, <i>C. bracarensis</i>, <i>C. tropicalis</i>, <i>C. lusitaniae</i>, and <i>C. parapsilosis sensu stricto</i>. The susceptibility pattern was predominantly susceptible, with only 10.9% of the total strains demonstrating resistance, and low antifungal activity in vitro was observed for Fluconazole, Voriconazole, and Posaconazole. Conclusions: The most prevalent species causing OC/VVC in Chile is <i>C. albicans</i>. This study also presents the first report of <i>C. lusitaniae</i> as a causal agent of VVC in the country. The identification of azole-resistant strains emphasizes the critical role of laboratory diagnosis in VVC cases, thereby preventing potential treatment failures. No resistance was observed in the strains associated with OC.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/14/7/712oral candidiasisvulvovaginal candidiasisnon-<i>albicans</i> species<i>Candida africana</i><i>Candida dubliniensis</i><i>Candida albicans</i>
spellingShingle Francisca Nahuelcura
Eduardo Álvarez Duarte
Species Distribution, Characterization, and Antifungal Susceptibility Patterns of <i>Candida</i> Isolates Causing Oral and Vulvovaginal Candidiasis in Chile
Antibiotics
oral candidiasis
vulvovaginal candidiasis
non-<i>albicans</i> species
<i>Candida africana</i>
<i>Candida dubliniensis</i>
<i>Candida albicans</i>
title Species Distribution, Characterization, and Antifungal Susceptibility Patterns of <i>Candida</i> Isolates Causing Oral and Vulvovaginal Candidiasis in Chile
title_full Species Distribution, Characterization, and Antifungal Susceptibility Patterns of <i>Candida</i> Isolates Causing Oral and Vulvovaginal Candidiasis in Chile
title_fullStr Species Distribution, Characterization, and Antifungal Susceptibility Patterns of <i>Candida</i> Isolates Causing Oral and Vulvovaginal Candidiasis in Chile
title_full_unstemmed Species Distribution, Characterization, and Antifungal Susceptibility Patterns of <i>Candida</i> Isolates Causing Oral and Vulvovaginal Candidiasis in Chile
title_short Species Distribution, Characterization, and Antifungal Susceptibility Patterns of <i>Candida</i> Isolates Causing Oral and Vulvovaginal Candidiasis in Chile
title_sort species distribution characterization and antifungal susceptibility patterns of i candida i isolates causing oral and vulvovaginal candidiasis in chile
topic oral candidiasis
vulvovaginal candidiasis
non-<i>albicans</i> species
<i>Candida africana</i>
<i>Candida dubliniensis</i>
<i>Candida albicans</i>
url https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/14/7/712
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