Candidiases, infections caused by germination forms of the Candida fungus, represent a heterogeneous group of diseases from systemic infection, through mucocutaneous form, to vulvovaginal form. Although caused by one organism, each form is controlled by distinct host immune mechanisms. Phagocytosis by polymorphonuclears and macrophages is generally accepted as the host immune mechanism for Candida elimination. Phagocytes require proinflammatory cytokine stimulation which could be harmful and must be regulated during the course of infection by the activity of CD8+ and CD4+ T cells. In the vaginal tissue the phagocytes are inefficient and inflammation is generally an unwanted reaction because it could damage mucosal tissue and break the tolerance to common vagina antigens including the otherwise saprophyting Candida yeast. Recurrent form of vulvovaginal candidiasis is probably associated with breaking of such tolerance. Beside the phagocytosis, specific antibodies, complement, and mucosal epithelial cell comprise Candida eliminating immune mechanisms. They are regulated by CD4+ and CD8+ T cells which produce cytokines IL-12, IFN-gamma, IL-10, TGF-beta, etc. as the response to signals from dendritic cells specialized to sense actual Candida morphotypes. During the course of Candida infection proinflammatory signals (if initially necessary) are replaced successively by antiinflammatory signals. This balance is absolutely distinct during each candidiasis form and it is crucial to describe and understand the basic principles before designing new therapeutic and/or preventive approaches.

• MeSH
• Antifungal Agents therapeutic use   MeSH
• Immunity, Cellular MeSH
• Candida classification   immunology   pathogenicity   MeSH
• Phagocytosis MeSH
• Candidiasis drug therapy   immunology   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Carrier State immunology   MeSH
• Immunity, Innate immunology   MeSH
• T-Lymphocytes immunology   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Review MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Antifungal Agents MeSH

Patients in various clinical states of diabetes mellitus (according to the recommendation of the American Diabetes Association) as a primary diagnosis were examined for fungal infections by Candida species. Candida spp. were detected in urine, in the material taken from the mouth cavity, nails, skin lesions, ears and eyes, by cultivation on the Sabouraud agar, CHROMagar Candida, and by saccharide assimilation. In the group of diabetics with symptoms of oral candidiasis and denture stomatitis C. albicans was identified in 8 cases, C. tropicalis in 3, C. parapsilosis in 2; 1 strain of C. guilliermondii was also isolated. In patients with urinary tract infections the presence of C. albicans was shown in 12 cases; C. parapsilosis was detected in 6 cases and two strains of each C. tropicalis and C. krusei were also isolated. In patients with leg ulcers C. albicans (25 cases), C. parapsilosis (5), C. tropicalis (3) and one strain of each C. krusei and C. robusta were isolated. Otomycosis was associated with one strain of C. albicans, C. parapsilosis, C. tropicalis and C. guilliermondii. C. albicans was most frequently associated with onychomycosis, paronychia and endophthalmitis; C. parapsilosis was the second most rated yeast.

• MeSH
• Candida classification   isolation & purification   MeSH
• Diabetes Mellitus MeSH
• Candidiasis, Cutaneous complications   microbiology   pathology   MeSH
• Candidiasis complications   diagnosis   microbiology   pathology   MeSH
• Diabetes Complications microbiology   pathology   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Candidiasis, Oral complications   microbiology   pathology   MeSH
• Retrospective Studies MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

Production of secreted aspartate proteinases was determined in a set of 646 isolates of Candida and non-Candida yeast species collected from 465 patients of the University Hospital in Olomouc (Czechia) in the period 1995-2002, and Candida samples obtained from 64 healthy volunteers using solid media developed for this purpose. Using random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis (RAPD) 79 Candida isolates from blood were analyzed to show potential relationships between clustering of the fingerprints and extracellular proteolytic activity of these strains. C. albicans, C. tropicalis and C. parapsilosis possess always proteolytic activity while non-Candida species did not display any proteolysis. A tight relationship between fingerprints and extracellular proteolysis in the Candida isolates was not shown. A remarkable consistency between fingerprint clusters and proteolysis occurred in a subset of C. parapsilosis samples. Suboptimal pH of the growth medium was shown to facilitate the investigation of potential co-incidence of genotypic and phenotypic traits.

• MeSH
• Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases physiology   MeSH
• Candida enzymology   pathogenicity   MeSH
• Virulence Factors physiology   MeSH
• Fungal Proteins physiology   MeSH
• Hydrogen-Ion Concentration MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases MeSH
• Virulence Factors MeSH
• Fungal Proteins MeSH

A total of 43 patients, 11 males and 32 females, with paronychia of the fingernails were examined for the presence of Candida spp. The yeast species isolated were identified using standard laboratory methods, including germ-tube production, morphology on rice agar with Tween 80, and mainly fermentation and assimilation of saccharides. In the male group, two Candida species were detected: C. albicans as the dominant species in 9 patients and C. parapsilosis in 2 cases. Similarly, C. albicans was the prevalent species also in females (n = 17); other Candida species detected were C. parapsilosis (n = 7), C. tropicalis (5) and C. krusei (3). In addition to the genus Candida, the following anaerobic and aerobic microorganisms were isolated from patients of both groups: Fusobacterium spp., Bacteroides spp., Staphylococcus aureus, alpha-hemolytic streptococci, group A beta-hemolytic streptococci, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Neisseria spp. and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

• MeSH
• Candida classification   isolation & purification   pathogenicity   MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Species Specificity MeSH
• Candidiasis etiology   microbiology   MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Mycological Typing Techniques MeSH
• Mycology methods   MeSH
• Nails microbiology   MeSH
• Paronychia etiology   microbiology   MeSH
• Risk Factors MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

Mycological analysis of swabs and scraping samples from the external ear canals of 40 patients with clinically diagnosed otomycosis (10 neonates, 30 adults) revealed the presence of fungi as etiological agents. They were investigated microscopically using 20 % potassium hydroxide, and by cultivation on Sabouraud's glucose agar. The Candida species were identified using the germ-tube test, micromorphology observations of colonies on rice agar, and particularly by the commercial kit AUXAcolor. The following Candida species were identified in the aural material examined: C. albicans (n = 21; 52.5 %), C. parapsilosis (11; 27.5), C. tropicalis (3; 7.5), C. krusei (3; 7.5), C. guilliermondii (2; 5.0). The above yeasts were present in samples together with Staphylococcus epidermidis (31), S. aureus (16), alpha-hemolytic streptococci (14), Neisseria spp. (14), Proteus mirabilis (3), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (3), Escherichia coli (1) and Haemophilus influenzae (1). The most frequent predisposing factors for otomycosis were swimming in public pools and/or bath, spa and diabetes mellitus.

• MeSH
• Candida classification   isolation & purification   pathogenicity   MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Species Specificity MeSH
• Candidiasis microbiology   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Infant, Newborn MeSH
• Otitis Externa microbiology   MeSH
• Risk Factors MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Infant, Newborn MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Geographicals
• Slovakia MeSH

Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of the 5.8S rRNA gene and the internal transcribed spacers (ITS1 and ITS2) was used for examination of 66 isolates belonging to 19 species. Intraspecies variability was found in the examined region of 11 species (Candida albicans, C. catenulata, C. colliculosa, C. glabrata, C. kefyr, C. melinii, C. parapsilosis, C. guillermondii, C. solanii, C. tropicalis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae). Region of ITS-5.8S rDNA was amplified using the primers ITS1 and ITS4. The amplicons were digested by HaeIII, HinfI and CfoI. The recognized intraspecies variability was confirmed in the second step, in which the shorter fragments of this region were amplified using primers ITS1 and ITS2 and analyzed by capillary electrophoresis. Considerable intraspecific variability renders this method unsuitable for species identification, whereas it can be useful for epidemiological tracing of isolates.

• MeSH
• Candida classification   genetics   MeSH
• DNA, Fungal analysis   MeSH
• DNA Primers * MeSH
• Species Specificity MeSH
• Electrophoresis, Capillary MeSH
• Genetic Variation * MeSH
• Genes, rRNA MeSH
• Fungi classification   genetics   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• DNA, Ribosomal Spacer analysis   genetics   MeSH
• Mycological Typing Techniques MeSH
• Mycoses microbiology   MeSH
• Polymerase Chain Reaction methods   MeSH
• RNA, Ribosomal, 5.8S analysis   genetics   MeSH
• Saccharomyces cerevisiae classification   genetics   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Evaluation Study MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Names of Substances
• DNA, Fungal MeSH
• DNA Primers * MeSH
• DNA, Ribosomal Spacer MeSH
• RNA, Ribosomal, 5.8S MeSH

The cryptococcal polysaccharide antigen was detected in 10 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and 23 serum samples from cryptococcal meningitis and intestinal cryptococcosis by the cryptococcal antigen latex agglutination system (CALAS). CALAS titers in CSF and serum samples of cryptococcal meningitis ranged over 8-2048 and 32-2048, respectively, while in cases of intestinal cryptococcosis, serum titers ranged over 8-2048. The isolates of yeast Cryptococcus neoformans were determined to be of serotype A or of the A/D pair. The total leukocyte count and biochemical parameters in CSF were significantly increased as indicators of microbial infection. Furthermore, the in vitro change of the teleomorph (sexual state) to the anamorph (asexual state) was also detected and the teleomorph state changed in vivo to the encapsulated anamoph state which is more virulent during infection in vivo than the yeast-like noncapsulated form. Two primers for internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of ribosomal DNA were used for molecular detection of C. neoformans. After PCR amplification, a DNA band of 415 bp, visualized on agarose gel, indicated the presence of C. neoformans cells in the tested CSF and serum samples. The primer sensitivity was also characterized using purified yeast chromosomal DNA as template; it was about 20 pg or more chromosomal DNA which represents about 10 cells of C. neoformans. The primers were also specific for ITS regions of C. neoformans and gave negative results with Candida albicans and E. coli chromosomal DNA templates.

• MeSH
• Cryptococcus neoformans classification   genetics   isolation & purification   MeSH
• Child MeSH
• DNA, Fungal blood   cerebrospinal fluid   MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Meningitis, Cryptococcal diagnosis   microbiology   MeSH
• Cryptococcosis diagnosis   microbiology   MeSH
• Latex Fixation Tests MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Mycological Typing Techniques MeSH
• Intestinal Diseases diagnosis   microbiology   MeSH
• Polymerase Chain Reaction methods   MeSH
• Polysaccharides blood   cerebrospinal fluid   MeSH
• Child, Preschool MeSH
• Sensitivity and Specificity MeSH
• Serotyping MeSH
• Check Tag
• Child MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Child, Preschool MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Evaluation Study MeSH
• Geographicals
• Egypt MeSH
• Names of Substances
• cryptococcal polysaccharide MeSH Browser
• DNA, Fungal MeSH
• Polysaccharides MeSH