Candida parapsilosis complex: epidemiological peculiarities, virulence and mechanisms of antifungal resistance

• Grant number: 12/04767-1
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Duration: August 01, 2012 - October 31, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Arnaldo Lopes Colombo
• Grantee: Arnaldo Lopes Colombo
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Ana Carolina Remondi Souza ; Fernando César Bizerra ; Marcelo Alves da Silva Mori ; Mirian Akemi Furuie Hayashi

Abstract

Candida albicans remains the most prevalent species in human superficial and invasive Candida infections, although there is concern over the increasing rates of non-C. albicans infections worldwide. C. parapsilosis is the second Candida species most frequently isolated from blood cultures in South America and in some European countries, such as Spain and Italy. Since 2005, when this taxon has been considered a complex of 3 closely related species: C. parapsilosis (sensu stricto), C. metapsilosis and C. orthopsilosis, few studies have evaluated potential biological, epidemiological and clinical peculiarities related to these three species. Thus it still remains in uncertain if the knowledge gained in relation to infections by Candida parapsilosis (sensu stricto) can be extrapolated to cases of invasive infections by Candida orthopsilosis and C. metapsilosis. In this scenario, the objectives of this work are: 1) To evaluate the epidemiology of Candida parapsilosis species complex in Latin America; 2) To evaluate the antifungal susceptibility profile of isolates of C. parapsilosis species complex; 3)To identify and characterize the mechanisms involved in resistance to azoles and echinocandins; 4) To assess, using Caenorhabditis elegans as an experimental model, the pathogenicity of isolates of Candida parapsilosis (sensu stricto), C, orthopsilosis and C. metapsilosis;.and, 5) To describe and characterize the virulence factors expressed by Candida parapsilosis (sensu stricto), C. orthopsilosis and C. metapsilosis during the development of infection. This project aims to assess the epidemiology of three species of Candida parapsilosis complex in medical centers in Latin America as well as identify the possible peculiarities of the three species with regard to antifungal susceptibility, expression of resistance mechanisms and pathogenicity involved with infection. This study has the support of the Laboratory of Pharmacology. (AU)

Scientific publications

(7)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

MONFREDINI, PRISCILLA MORAIS; REMONDI SOUZA, ANA CAROLINA; CAVALHEIRO, RENAN PELLUZZI; SIQUEIRA, RICARDO ANDREOTTI; COLOMBO, ARNALDO LOPES. Clinical impact of Candida spp. biofilm production in a cohort of patients with candidemia. Medical Mycology, v. 56, n. 7, p. 803-808, OCT 2018. (12/04767-1)

JAFET OURIVES, ANA PAULA; GONCALVES, SARAH SANTOS; SIQUEIRA, RICARDO ANDREOTTI; REMONDI SOUZA, ANA CAROLINA; CANZIANI, MARIA EUGENIA F.; MANFREDI, SILVIA REGINA; CORREA, LUCI; COLOMBO, ARNALDO LOPES. High rate of Candida deep-seated infection in patients under chronic hemodialysis with extended central venous catheter use. REVISTA IBEROAMERICANA DE MICOLOGIA, v. 33, n. 2, p. 100-103, APR 30 2016. (12/04769-4, 12/04767-1)

SOUZA, ANA CAROLINA R.; FUCHS, BETH BURGWYN; PINHATI, HENRIQUE M. S.; SIQUEIRA, RICARDO A.; HAGEN, FERRY; MEIS, JACQUES F.; MYLONAKIS, ELEFTHERIOS; COLOMBO, ARNALDO L.. Candida parapsilosis Resistance to Fluconazole: Molecular Mechanisms and In Vivo Impact in Infected Galleria mellonella Larvae. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, v. 59, n. 10, p. 6581-6587, OCT 2015. (12/04769-4, 12/04767-1, 13/07405-6)

SAMPAIO PINHATI, HENRIQUE MARCONI; CASULARI, LUIZ AUGUSTO; REMONDI SOUZA, ANA CAROLINA; SIQUEIRA, RICARDO ANDREOTTI; GOMES DAMASCENO, CAMILA MARIA; COLOMBO, ARNALDO LOPES. Outbreak of candidemia caused by fluconazole resistant Candida parapsilosis strains in an intensive care unit. BMC INFECTIOUS DISEASES, v. 16, AUG 20 2016. (12/04769-4, 12/04767-1)

CALVO, BELINDA; MELO, ANALY S. A.; PEROZO-MENA, ARMINDO; HERNANDEZ, MARTIN; FRANCISCO, ELAINE CRISTINA; HAGEN, FERRY; MEIS, JACQUES F.; COLOMBO, ARNALDO LOPES. First report of Candida auris in America: Clinical and microbiological aspects of 18 episodes of candidemia. Journal of Infection, v. 73, n. 4, p. 369-374, OCT 2016. (12/04767-1)

BIZERRA, FERNANDO CESAR; JIMENEZ-ORTIGOSA, CRISTINA; SOUZA, ANA CAROLINA R.; BREDA, GIOVANNI LUIS; QUEIROZ-TELLES, FLAVIO; PERLIN, DAVID S.; COLOMBO, ARNALDO L.. Breakthrough Candidemia Due to Multidrug-Resistant Candida glabrata during Prophylaxis with a Low Dose of Micafungin. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, v. 58, n. 4, p. 2438-2440, APR 2014. (12/04769-4, 10/17179-5, 12/04767-1, 07/08575-1)

GONCALVES, SARAH SANTOS; REMONDI SOUZA, ANA CAROLINA; CHOWDHARY, ANURADHA; MEIS, JACQUES F.; COLOMBO, ARNALDO LOPES. Epidemiology and molecular mechanisms of antifungal resistance in Candida and Aspergillus. MYCOSES, v. 59, n. 4, p. 198-219, APR 2016. (12/04767-1, 12/04769-4)