%0 Journal Article
%T The effect of voriconazole and itraconazole on some biological characteristics of Candida strains isolated from hospitalized and ambulatory ¨C treated patients
%A Agnieszka K. Kurnatowska
%A Jolanta KwaŁżniewska
%J Medical Mycology
%D 2011
%I 
%X Introduction: The growing prevalence of fungi from various genera and species as well as strains exhibiting reduced susceptibility to some antifungal drugs, which may induce organs involving or generalized mycoses, has posed a serious problem in recent years. The efficacy of mycosis treatment should be anticipated not only basing on in vitro determination of susceptibility of the fungal strain but also considering the species and characteristics of this strain. Aim of the study: Was to determine susceptibility of Candida strains, isolated from hospitalized and ambulatory treated patients, to voriconazole and itraconazole; and to assess selected characteristics of fungal strains cultured with both antifungal azoles. Material and methods: The susceptibility of 206 fungal strains isolated from hospitalized (group 1) and ambulatory treated patients (group 2) was investigated by using the agar-gel diffusion technique. For further study, 42 strains of C. albicans were selected, to cultures of which both drugs were added for 30 days at two concentrations. Next, the length, width, surface area and width/length ratio of the cells from strain culture without any drug and from the strains exposed to both azole derivatives were assessed. Moreover, hydrolytic activity was determined for these strains with the use of API ZYM (bioM¨Śrieux). Results: The variability range of MIC of voriconazole for strains isolated from hospitalized patients was from 0.0103 to 5.013 mg/l, whereas for the strains isolated from outpatients the results were from 0.0124 to 1.985 mg/l; the respective values for intraconazole were between 0.011 and 2.813 mg/l and between 0.0103 and 0.718 mg/l. In the strains isolated from group 1, a statistically significantly higher susceptibility of C. albicans strains to voriconazole than of C. glabrata was found (p=0.041). The analysis of biometric measurements indicated a decrease in the values of most parameters of C. albicans strain cells cultured with drugs, as compared to the original strain. Moreover, a significantly lower activity of some hydrolases was recorded in the strains exposed to voriconazole and itraconazole in comparison to the original strain. Conclusions: 1. Voriconazole has a similar effect on Candida strains isolated from both the hospitalized and ambulatory treated patients, with the exception of C. glabrata strains, which are less susceptible to this azole. 2. The strains of the majority of Candida species isolated from the hospitalized patients are less susceptible to itraconazole as compared to those derived from the outpatients.
%K azoles
%K Candida
%K voriconazole
%K itraconazole
%K 
%U http://cornetis.pl/pliki/ML/2011/4/ML_2011_4_171.pdf