Clonal population of flucytosine-resistant Candida tropicalis from blood cultures, Paris, France

Emerg Infect Dis. 2008 Apr;14(4):557-65. doi: 10.3201/eid1404.071083.

Abstract

Candida tropicalis is a diploid ascomycetes yeast responsible for 4%-24% of candidemia. Resistance to flucytosine is rarely described for this species but was observed for 45 (35%) of 130 C. tropicalis isolates recovered from blood cultures in the Paris area in a 4-year survey. The aims of this study were to test the hypothesis that the flucytosine-resistant isolates could represent a subgroup and to determine the relationship between epidemiologic and genomic data. Epidemiologic data and gene sequences were analyzed, and molecular typing was performed. Our results suggest that a clone of flucytosine-resistant isolates, associated with malignancies and a lower mortality than that for other C. tropicalis isolates, is widespread in the Paris area. We propose the analysis of 2 polymorphic microsatellite markers coupled with URA3 sequencing to track the clone.

MeSH terms

  • Antifungal Agents / pharmacology*
  • Candida tropicalis / classification
  • Candida tropicalis / drug effects*
  • Candida tropicalis / genetics
  • Candidiasis / microbiology*
  • Drug Resistance, Fungal
  • Flucytosine / pharmacology*
  • France
  • Fungemia / microbiology*
  • Genotype
  • Humans
  • Microsatellite Repeats
  • Phenotype
  • Risk Factors
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Antifungal Agents
  • Flucytosine