title: Yeasts from the oral cavity of children with AIDS: exoenzyme production and antifungal resistance.
abstract: The oral fungal microbiota of 30 children with AIDS, of both genders, aged from two to six years, receiving outpatient treatment, was evaluated and compared with that of a control group composed of 30 healthy subjects with matching ages and genders. Virulence factors, such as exoenzyme production, and susceptibility to five antifungal agents using an E-Test kit were evaluated. C. albicans predominated over other species in the AIDS group, showing a higher production of proteinase and phospholipase when compared with that observed in the control group. In this study few clinical manifestations of and low selectivity for C. albicans (23.3%) were observed in the AIDS group. The enzymatic studies showed that 53.8% of the AIDS strains were strongly positive whereas only 33.3% of the non-AIDS strains were positive. Amphotericin B was the most effective drug among the antifungal agents tested against C. albicans. The frequency, selectivity and level of exoenzyme production by C. albicans suggest a higher pathogenicity in the AIDS children than in the control children.
authors.affiliation: School of Dentistry, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vera Lúcia
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Bosco
authors.forename: Esther Goldenberg
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Birman
authors.forename: Arlete Emily
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Cury
authors.forename: Claudete Rodrigues
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Paula
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002180:Candidiasis, Oral / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D025141:Drug Resistance, Fungal; D010450:Endopeptidases / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006867:Hydrolases / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008297:Male; D009055:Mouth / Q000382:microbiology*; D010740:Phospholipases / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015003:Yeasts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D006867:Hydrolases; D010740:Phospholipases; D010450:Endopeptidases