Cryptococcus neoformans is an encapsulated yeast causing mainly opportunistic
infections. DNA molecular typing techniques divided C. neoformans into four major molecular types (AFLP1/VNI, AFLP1A/VNB/VNII, AFLP1B/
VNII, AFLP3/VNIII, AFLP2/VNIV) characterized by different pathogenicity,
geographical distribution and susceptibility to antifungal treatments. In this
study 170 Italian C. neoformans clinical isolates (CI) and 32 environmental
isolates (EI), collected and serotyped during a ten-year period (1985 to 1995),
were genotyped using [GACA]4 microsatellite PCR fingerprinting. The molecular
types were compared to their geographic distribution, specimen sources
and patient’s risk factors. All four molecular types were described among the
CI and only VNI and VNIV among the EI. VNIV molecular type was isolated
with significant prevalence among the CI and VNI among the EI. A different
geographical distribution of molecular types was detected: VNIV was the most
prevalent in the North and Center of Italy; VNIII was isolated almost exclusively
in the Center. No significant correlation among molecular types versus
predisposing diseases or isolation sources was detected. The strains isolated
from different body sites of the same patient (17 cases) were of the same genotype.
Five out 9 cases relapsed with a different molecular type. This preliminary
investigation shows a high intraspecies variability and reveals a nonhomogeneous
distribution of C. neoformans molecular types in Italy.
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