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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2025-07-01
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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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publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
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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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