In vitro susceptibility of clinical yeast isolates to fluconazole and terconazole.
OBJECTIVE
Fifty clinical yeast isolates, representing equally Candida albicans, Candida krusei, Candida parapsilosis, Candida tropicalis, and Torulopsis glabrata, were tested in vitro for their susceptibility to terconazole and fluconazole.


METHODS
The minimal inhibitory concentrations of terconazole and fluconazole were determined by use of a proposed standardized broth macrodilution assay. Also, the response of selected yeast isolates to 25 micrograms of either drug was measured by agarose disk diffusion experiments.


RESULTS
For all species the minimum inhibitory concentrations for terconazole were significantly lower than those for fluconazole (p < 0.05). In fact, for each individual isolate the minimum inhibitory concentration of terconazole was consistently lower than that of fluconazole. Differences in the geometric mean of terconazole and fluconazole minimum inhibitory concentrations were largest among C. krusei and T. glabrata, followed by C. parapsilosis, C. tropicalis, and C. albicans, in order of decreasing difference. Disk diffusion experiments suggested that terconazole is a more effective fungistatic agent than fluconazole is.


CONCLUSIONS
Terconazole may be more effective than fluconazole against yeast species other than C. albicans.
Cooper
C R
CR
Medical Mycology Research Center, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston 77555-0609, USA.
McGinnis
M R
MR
D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002175:Candida / Q000187:drug effects*; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D015725:Fluconazole / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D014230:Triazoles / Q000494:pharmacology*
D000935:Antifungal Agents; D014230:Triazoles; C037815:terconazole; D015725:Fluconazole