Genetic diversity assessed using PFGE, MLP and MLST in Candida spp. candidemia isolates obtained from a Brazilian hospital

Author(s)

Canela, Heliara Maria Spina ^[1] ; Cardoso, Barbara ^[1] ; Frazao, Miliane Rodrigues ^[1] ; Falcao, Juliana Pfrimer ^[1] ; Vitali, Lucia Helena ^[2] ; Martinez, Roberto ^[2] ; da Silva Ferreira, Marcia Eliana ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Ciencias Farmaceut Ribeirao Preto, Dept Ciencias Farmaceut, Bloco S, Terreo Sala 013A S, Ave Cafe S-N, BR-14040903 Ribeirao Preto, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Med Ribeirao Preto, Ribeirao Preto, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Brazilian Journal of Microbiology; v. 52, n. 2 FEB 2021.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

Candida spp. are the main causative agents of invasive fungal infections in immunocompromised patients. Candidemia has attributable mortality rates of 15 to 35% and increases hospitalisation time and costs, thus making this disease a public health concern. This study aimed to use pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), microsatellite length polymorphism (MLP) and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) to analyse the genetic relationships among 65 Candida spp. bloodstream isolates, including 35 Candida albicans, 15 Candida glabrata and 15 Candida tropicalis isolates, all of which were obtained from patients in a Brazilian hospital. Moreover, patient clinical data were assessed. All techniques resulted in high discriminatory indexes. C. albicans and C. tropicalis isolates showed high genetic variability, while C. glabrata isolates had relatively low genetic variability. Moreover, a cluster of C. glabrata isolates was identified in a hospital unit. New MLST sequence types, diploid sequence types and alleles are described. Relationships were not observed between the molecular typing results and clinical characteristics. The molecular typing of clinical strains increases our understanding of candidemia epidemiology and promotes the development of strategies that can reduce the incidence of this disease. Moreover, this study is the first to combine these techniques to genotype these three species in Brazil. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 14/10628-0 - Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of Candida spp strains of candidemia in universitary hospital
• Grantee: Márcia Eliana da Silva Ferreira
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 13/23485-0 - Phenotypic and genotypic profile of Candida spp. strains of candidemia episodes in the Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto Hospital - FMRP-USP
• Grantee: Heliara Maria Spina Canela
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate