Background. Vulvovaginal candidiasis is a common infection. The aim of this study was to identify the species of vaginal Candida isolates by using multiplex PCR technique. Methods. 191 isolates from patients admitted to Mahdieh hospital were identified. The vaginal swab specimens were cultured on Sabouraud Dextrose Agar. The ITS1 region between the 18S and 5.8S rRNA genes and a specific DNA fragment within the ITS2 region were amplified. The multiplex PCR products were separated by electrophoresis in 2% agarose gel, visualized by staining with ethidium bromide, and photographed. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, and Spearman correlation were used to summarize the findings. Results. C. albicans and C. glabrata were the most common species isolated from the specimens. A mix of C. glabrata and C. albicans was the most common mixed infection isolated from the samples. The analysis revealed a significant positive association between older age and infection with C. glabrata isolates (Spearman’s rho = 0.89, ). Conclusion. Multiplex PCR is a fast, yet reliable method to identify Candida species. C. albicans and then C. glabrata are the two most common causes of vulvovaginal candidiasis. The number of mixed fungal infections is higher among Iranian population compared to international reports. 1. Introduction Candida species are the second most common cause of vulvovaginitis worldwide [1]. The prevalence of vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is increasing due to the extensive utilization of broad-spectrum antibiotics as well as increased cases of immunocompromised patients [2, 3]. Nearly 75% of women over 25 years of age, reported to have at least one episode of physician approved VVC during their lifetime and 5% experienced recurrent type; which is defined by getting infected for at least 4 times in a one-year period [4]. However, 20–50% of women have Candida species in their vaginal flora without showing any clinical symptoms [4, 5]. C. albicans is the most common and clinically relevant species that accounts for 85–90% of VVC [4]. However, there has been a significant trend towards the emergence of other species such as C. glabrata, C. krusei, and C. parapsilosis which ironically show more resistance to the first line antifungal treatments [6]. Hence, the differentiation of diverse species of Candida in the laboratories seems necessary. Traditionally, the identification and classification of Candida species were done by time consuming and unreliable methods such as serotyping [7], colony morphotyping [8], conventional culture techniques, and morphological
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