title: In vitro effect of fibrinogen on Candida albicans germ tube formation.
abstract: Pseudohyphae formation by Candida albicans blastoconidia, as seen in vaginal smears, is a phenotypical change commonly assumed to mean fungal invasiveness, i.e. not mere colonization. C. albicans forms germ tubes in vitro in the presence of serum. In our search for inhibitory components of germ tube formation, we decided to study fibrinogen. The inhibition of germ tube formation by clinical isolates of C. albicans was evaluated in the presence of serial concentrations of fraction I, type IV and fraction I, type Is of fibrinogen from bovine plasma. Fibrinogen showed a dose-dependent, pH-independent inhibitory effect on the germ tube formation by C. albicans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Porto School of Medicine, Portugal.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Vaz
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Mårdh
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: da Fonseca
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D001769:Blood / Q000382:microbiology; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D002181:Candidiasis, Vulvovaginal / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D002417:Cattle; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D010641:Phenotype; D014626:Vaginal Smears; D014774:Virulence / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D005340:Fibrinogen