Assessment of the accuracy of identification of clinical Candida species with reduced fluconazole susceptibility by rapid methods and their relative expression of major efflux pump genes

Background: Candida infections are commonly treated with fluconazole. Efflux pumps are one of the mechanisms for fluconazole resistance. This study assessed the accuracy of identification of Candida species with reduced fluconazole susceptibility and their relative expression of major efflux pump ge...

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Main Authors: Aliaa Aboulela, Samah Idris, Dalia Metwally, Rasha Emad, Gamal El Din Ahmed El Sawaf
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Zagazig University, Faculty of Medicine 2023-08-01
Series:Microbes and Infectious Diseases
Subjects:
Online Access:https://mid.journals.ekb.eg/article_307661_e2a97aec8e09255586a7940d315916f4.pdf
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author Aliaa Aboulela
Samah Idris
Dalia Metwally
Rasha Emad
Gamal El Din Ahmed El Sawaf
author_facet Aliaa Aboulela
Samah Idris
Dalia Metwally
Rasha Emad
Gamal El Din Ahmed El Sawaf
author_sort Aliaa Aboulela
collection DOAJ
description Background: Candida infections are commonly treated with fluconazole. Efflux pumps are one of the mechanisms for fluconazole resistance. This study assessed the accuracy of identification of Candida species with reduced fluconazole susceptibility and their relative expression of major efflux pump genes. Methods: Candida species (n=111) were collected from clinical samples, identified by Brilliance Candida Agar (BCA) and germ tube test, then tested for fluconazole susceptibility by disk diffusion. Confirmation of identification and susceptibility to fluconazole was done by Phoenix BD and broth microdilution methods, and the accuracy of preliminary methods was calculated. qPCR was performed to evaluate the gene expression of common efflux pump genes. Results: The most predominant were C. albicans (32%) and C. tropicalis (29%). Accuracy of BCA identification was 84% for both species. Reduced fluconazole susceptibility was detected in 8.3% of C. albicans and 40.6% of C. tropicalis. Accuracy of disk diffusion was 100% for C. albicans and 62% for C. tropicalis. qPCR showed upregulation of CDR2 efflux pump among non-susceptible C. albicans (1.99 ± 1.04), though not statistically significant. CDR1 expression was at a basal level for C. albicans (0.9 ± 0.25) and C. tropicalis (0.69 ± 0.76). MDR-1 was significantly downregulated in non-susceptible C. tropicalis (0.30 ± 0.63, p= 0.025). Conclusion: Brilliance Candida Agar  identification requires verification. The disk diffusion method is of higher accuracy with C. albicans than with C. tropicalis. Overexpression of CDR1 and CDR2 in C. albicans, and CDR1 and MDR1 in C. tropicalis were not the main reasons behind reduced susceptibility to fluconazole.
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spelling doaj.art-528fe4b433904a47979cd15950042a3f2023-08-11T15:20:52ZengZagazig University, Faculty of MedicineMicrobes and Infectious Diseases2682-41322682-41402023-08-0143994100710.21608/mid.2023.220044.1553307661Assessment of the accuracy of identification of clinical Candida species with reduced fluconazole susceptibility by rapid methods and their relative expression of major efflux pump genesAliaa Aboulela0Samah Idris1Dalia Metwally2Rasha Emad3Gamal El Din Ahmed El Sawaf4Microbiology Department, Medical Research Institute, Alexandria University, EgyptMicrobiology Department, Medical Research Institute, Alexandria University, EgyptMicrobiology Department, Medical Research Institute, Alexandria UniversityAlexandria Main University Hospital, Alexandria, EgyptMicrobiology Department, Medical Research Institute, Alexandria University, EgyptBackground: Candida infections are commonly treated with fluconazole. Efflux pumps are one of the mechanisms for fluconazole resistance. This study assessed the accuracy of identification of Candida species with reduced fluconazole susceptibility and their relative expression of major efflux pump genes. Methods: Candida species (n=111) were collected from clinical samples, identified by Brilliance Candida Agar (BCA) and germ tube test, then tested for fluconazole susceptibility by disk diffusion. Confirmation of identification and susceptibility to fluconazole was done by Phoenix BD and broth microdilution methods, and the accuracy of preliminary methods was calculated. qPCR was performed to evaluate the gene expression of common efflux pump genes. Results: The most predominant were C. albicans (32%) and C. tropicalis (29%). Accuracy of BCA identification was 84% for both species. Reduced fluconazole susceptibility was detected in 8.3% of C. albicans and 40.6% of C. tropicalis. Accuracy of disk diffusion was 100% for C. albicans and 62% for C. tropicalis. qPCR showed upregulation of CDR2 efflux pump among non-susceptible C. albicans (1.99 ± 1.04), though not statistically significant. CDR1 expression was at a basal level for C. albicans (0.9 ± 0.25) and C. tropicalis (0.69 ± 0.76). MDR-1 was significantly downregulated in non-susceptible C. tropicalis (0.30 ± 0.63, p= 0.025). Conclusion: Brilliance Candida Agar  identification requires verification. The disk diffusion method is of higher accuracy with C. albicans than with C. tropicalis. Overexpression of CDR1 and CDR2 in C. albicans, and CDR1 and MDR1 in C. tropicalis were not the main reasons behind reduced susceptibility to fluconazole.https://mid.journals.ekb.eg/article_307661_e2a97aec8e09255586a7940d315916f4.pdfc. albicansc. tropicaliscdr1,cdr2 and mdr1fluconazole resistance
spellingShingle Aliaa Aboulela
Samah Idris
Dalia Metwally
Rasha Emad
Gamal El Din Ahmed El Sawaf
Assessment of the accuracy of identification of clinical Candida species with reduced fluconazole susceptibility by rapid methods and their relative expression of major efflux pump genes
Microbes and Infectious Diseases
c. albicans
c. tropicalis
cdr1,cdr2 and mdr1
fluconazole resistance
title Assessment of the accuracy of identification of clinical Candida species with reduced fluconazole susceptibility by rapid methods and their relative expression of major efflux pump genes
title_full Assessment of the accuracy of identification of clinical Candida species with reduced fluconazole susceptibility by rapid methods and their relative expression of major efflux pump genes
title_fullStr Assessment of the accuracy of identification of clinical Candida species with reduced fluconazole susceptibility by rapid methods and their relative expression of major efflux pump genes
title_full_unstemmed Assessment of the accuracy of identification of clinical Candida species with reduced fluconazole susceptibility by rapid methods and their relative expression of major efflux pump genes
title_short Assessment of the accuracy of identification of clinical Candida species with reduced fluconazole susceptibility by rapid methods and their relative expression of major efflux pump genes
title_sort assessment of the accuracy of identification of clinical candida species with reduced fluconazole susceptibility by rapid methods and their relative expression of major efflux pump genes
topic c. albicans
c. tropicalis
cdr1,cdr2 and mdr1
fluconazole resistance
url https://mid.journals.ekb.eg/article_307661_e2a97aec8e09255586a7940d315916f4.pdf
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