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Prevalence of Closely Related Candida albicans Species among Patients with Vulvovaginal Candidiasis in Southern Poland Based on the hwp1 Gene Amplification Cover

Prevalence of Closely Related Candida albicans Species among Patients with Vulvovaginal Candidiasis in Southern Poland Based on the hwp1 Gene Amplification

Open Access
|Mar 2023

Figures & Tables

Fig. 1.

Morphology of reference strains of yeasts colonies after 48 h incubation in 37°C on chromID® Candida (bioMérieux, France).
A. a) Candida albicans ATCC® 90028™ (dark blue colonies), b) Candida glabrata ATCC® 2001™ (white colonies), c) Candida tropicalis ATCC® 9968™ (pink colonies).
B. a) Candida africana ATCC® MYA 2669™ (small, light blue colonies), b) Candida albicans ATCC® 90028™ (dark blue colonies), c) Candida dubliniensis clinical strain (turquoise colonies).
Morphology of reference strains of yeasts colonies after 48 h incubation in 37°C on chromID® Candida (bioMérieux, France). A. a) Candida albicans ATCC® 90028™ (dark blue colonies), b) Candida glabrata ATCC® 2001™ (white colonies), c) Candida tropicalis ATCC® 9968™ (pink colonies). B. a) Candida africana ATCC® MYA 2669™ (small, light blue colonies), b) Candida albicans ATCC® 90028™ (dark blue colonies), c) Candida dubliniensis clinical strain (turquoise colonies).

Fig. 2.

Representative samples of the hwp1 gene PCR assay visualised in electrophoresis.
Line 1 and 13 – molecular weight marker (O’GeneRuler 50 bp DNA Ladder; Thermo Scientific, USA)
Line 2 – positive control of Candida albicans ATCC® 90028™ (product size 941 bp). Line 3 – positive control of Candida dubliniensis NCPF 3949 (product size 569 bp). Line 4 – positive control of Candida africana ATCC® MYA 2669™ (product size 700 bp)
Line 5, 6, 7, 9, 11 – clinical Candida albicans strains. Line 8, 10 – clinical Candida dubliniensis strains. Line 12 – negative control
Representative samples of the hwp1 gene PCR assay visualised in electrophoresis. Line 1 and 13 – molecular weight marker (O’GeneRuler 50 bp DNA Ladder; Thermo Scientific, USA) Line 2 – positive control of Candida albicans ATCC® 90028™ (product size 941 bp). Line 3 – positive control of Candida dubliniensis NCPF 3949 (product size 569 bp). Line 4 – positive control of Candida africana ATCC® MYA 2669™ (product size 700 bp) Line 5, 6, 7, 9, 11 – clinical Candida albicans strains. Line 8, 10 – clinical Candida dubliniensis strains. Line 12 – negative control

Fig. 3.

Susceptibility of 309 Candida albicans clinical isolates caused VVC obtained by Fungitest™ (BioRad, France).
S – susceptible, I – intermediate (referring to “susceptible, increased exposure” according to the EUCAST recommendations), R – resistant.
Susceptibility of 309 Candida albicans clinical isolates caused VVC obtained by Fungitest™ (BioRad, France). S – susceptible, I – intermediate (referring to “susceptible, increased exposure” according to the EUCAST recommendations), R – resistant.

Percentage of compatible results obtained by the methods used to discriminate species among Candida albicans complex (VITEK®2 system and MALDI-TOF MS) with the hwp1 gene amplification with PCR_

The compliance with PCR assayNo. (%) n = 326
VITEK 2319 (97.85)7 (2.15)
MALDI-TOF MS323 (99.08)3 (0.92)

Molecular discrimination among Candida albicans complex_

SpeciesNo. (%) n = 326
Candida albicans307 (94.17)
Candida dubliniensis17 (5.21)
Candida albicans + Candida dubliniensis2 (0.61)

Discrepancies between species identification among Candida albicans complex obtained by the Vitek®2 system, MALDI-TOF MS and the hwp1 gene amplification with PCR_

Isolate No.VITEK 2MALDI-TOF MSPCR assay based on the hwp1 gene amplification
Species identificationConfidence level (probability)Species identificationConfidence levelSpecies identificationProduct size (bp)
CA67clinical strainCandida albicans/Candida dubliniensislow (< 85%)Candida dubliniensis99.90%Candida dubliniensis569
CA95clinical strainCandida albicansexcellent (96%)Candida albicans99.90%Candida albicans + Candida dubliniensis941 + 569
CA98clinical strainnot identifiedCandida dubliniensis99.90%Candida dubliniensis569
CA125clinical strainCandida ciferriiacceptable (86%)Candida dubliniensis99.90%Candida dubliniensis569
CA13clinical strainCandida albicans/Candida dubliniensislow (< 85%)Candida dubliniensis99.90%Candida dubliniensis569
CA137clinical strainCandida albicansgood (91%)Candida albicans99.90%Candida dubliniensis569
CA313clinical strainCandida albicansvery good (95%)Candida albicans99.90%Candida albicans + Candida dubliniensis941 + 569
Candida albicansATCC® 90028™reference strainCandida albicansexcellent (98%)Candida albicans99.90%Candida albicans941
Candida dubliniensisNCPF 3949reference strainCandida dubliniensisvery good (93%)Candida dubliniensis99.90%Candida dubliniensis569
Candida africanaMYA 2669™reference strainCandida dubliniensis/Candida parapsilosislow (< 85%)Candida albicans99.90%Candida africana700

Prevalence of single VVC and co-occurrence with bacteria_

Type of co-occurrenceNo. (%)n = 326
Single VVC197 (60.43)
VVC + bacteria:129 (39.57)
  Gardnerella vaginalis  60 (18.40)
  Streptococcus agalactiae  41 (12.58)
  Gardnerella vaginalis + Streptococcus agalactiae   11 (3.37)
  Escherichia coli     9 (2.76)
  Escherichia coli + Streptococcus agalactiae     3 (0.92)
  Gardnerella vaginalis + Escherichia coli     2 (0.61)
  Methicillin susceptible Staphylococcus aureus     1 (0.31)
  Streptococcus pyogenes     1 (0.31)
  Klebsiella pneumoniae + Streptococcus agalactiae     1 (0.31)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.33073/pjm-2023-011 | Journal eISSN: 2544-4646 | Journal ISSN: 1733-1331
Language: English
Page range: 69 - 77
Submitted on: Dec 21, 2022
Accepted on: Feb 13, 2023
Published on: Mar 24, 2023
Published by: Polish Society of Microbiologists
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 4 issues per year

© 2023 KAROLINA KLESIEWICZ, PAULINA MROWIEC, KATARZYNA KANIA, IWONA SKIBA-KUREK, JOANNA BIAŁECKA, MAGDALENA NAMYSŁ, MARIANNA MAŁEK, published by Polish Society of Microbiologists
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.