Oral Candida colonization and anti-fungal susceptibility pattern in patients with hematological malignancy

Maryam Talebshoushtari Zadeh; Ensieh Lotfali; Mahsa Fattahi; Sara Abolgasemi

doi:10.18502/cmm.8.3.11210

Oral Candida colonization and anti-fungal susceptibility pattern in patients with hematological malignancy

Curr Med Mycol. 2022 Sep;8(3):18-22. doi: 10.18502/cmm.8.3.11210.

Authors

Maryam Talebshoushtari Zadeh¹, Ensieh Lotfali², Mahsa Fattahi³, Sara Abolgasemi¹

Affiliations

¹ Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
² Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
³ Center for Research and Training in Skin Diseases and Leprosy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Background and purpose: Candidiasis is regarded as one of the most important fungal infections and a cause of disease and mortality in patients with hematological malignancy. Accordingly, antifungal prophylaxis is of significant importance in this regard. This study aimed to identify the epidemiology of Candida colonization and evaluate its antifungal susceptibility pattern in patients with hematological malignancy.

Materials and methods: In this study, the samples were collected from the oral cavity of 100 patients, and Candida colonization was confirmed by fungal culture. Candida strains were also identified by ITS-PCR. In vitro antifungal susceptibility tests against fluconazole, amphotericin B, and caspofungin were performed according to CLSI M60.

Results: Demographic characteristics, comorbidities, distribution of Candida species (spp.), and antifungal susceptibility were analyzed in this study. The study participants included 100 patients with a mean age of 15.48%±48.74 years (age range: 17-84 years). Regarding gender distribution, the majority (64%) of the patients were male. In terms of the distribution of underlying hematologic malignancy, 27% of the cases had lymphoma. The most commonly isolated species among patients were C. albicans complex (49%; n=49), C. glabrata (39%; n=39), and co-colonization of C. albicans complex and C. with C. glabrata (10%; n=10). The overall resistance of C. albicans complex was 5% to fluconazole (n=5) and 2% to amphotericin B (n=2). Furthermore, C. glabrata showed 11% (n=11) resistance to fluconazole and was susceptible to amphotericin B. All Candida spp. isolated from patients who were susceptible to caspofungin.

Conclusion: The high rate of colonization of Candida spp., especially the significant increase in the frequency of C. glabrata in patients with blood malignancies and the gradual increase in resistance to fluconazole, necessitate a change in the use of antifungal drugs for the prevention and experimental treatment of hematological malignancy.

Keywords: Hematologic malignancy; C. albicans; C. glabrata; Candida.