Registration of frequency of isolated Candida strains in immunocompromised and cancer patients and determination of their tolerance in the usual antimycotic treatment

Abstract number: R2507

Patiakas S., Dovlatidis I., Xaralampous X., Akritopoulos P., Akritopoulou K., Sereti S., Oplopiadis D., Pandelidou K.

Objective: To investigate the frequency, the fungus type and their sensitivity towards the antimycotic treatment in patients with cancer or immunocompromised patients, because of their high risk in developing fungal infections.

Methods: We studied 182 patients in total (103 men and 79 women), mean age of 66.3 years who showed signs of fungal infection. From these patients 135 suffered of cancer (with histological confirmation of primary or secondary neoplasia) and 47 patients suffered of immunosuppression. We isolated 49 Candida (C) strains, which came out of 25 sputum samples, 12 from stool cultures, 11 out of urine cultures, and one out of trauma culture. As for the identification we used the API 20C system and for the determination of sensitivity in antibiotics we used E-test and other classical methods.

Results: We found 25 cases (51%) of C. albicans, 9 cases (18.4%) of C. parapsilosis, 8 cases (16.3%) of C. tropicalis, and 7 cases (14.3%) of C. lusitaniae. All these strains were sensitive in Caspofungine and Amfotericine B, while we found that 32.7% (16/49) tolerance in Fluconazole, 24.5% (12/49) in Voriconazole. Nearly 50% of the non-albicans strains, presented equal tolerance in both antifungal drugs.

Conclusions: (1) C. albicans was the most common isolated strain. (2) Out of the non-albicans strains that we isolated, the most frequent was C. parapsilosis, then C. tropicalis and then C. lusitaniae. (3) All the isolated strains where sensitive in Amfotericine B and Caspofungine. (4) There was a high level of tolerance in Triazole (mostly by the non-albicans strains).