title: Candida parapsilosis characterization in an outbreak setting.
abstract: Candida parapsilosis is an important non-albicans species which infects hospitalized patients. No studies have correlated outbreak infections of C. parapsilosis with multiple virulence factors. We used DNA fingerprinting to determine genetic variability among isolates from a C. parapsilosis outbreak and from our clinical database. We compared phenotypic markers of pathogenesis, including adherence, biofilm formation, and protein secretion (secretory aspartic protease [SAP] and phospholipase). Adherence was measured as colony counts on silicone elastomer disks immersed in agar. Biofilms formed on disks were quantified by dry weight. SAP expression was measured by hydrolysis of bovine albumin; a colorimetric assay was used to quantitate phospholipase. DNA fingerprinting indicated that the outbreak isolates were clonal and genetically distinct from our database. Biofilm expression by the outbreak clone was greater than that of sporadic isolates (p < or =0.0005). Adherence and protein secretion did not correlate with strain pathogenicity. These results suggest that biofilm production plays a role in C. parapsilosis outbreaks.
authors.affiliation: University Hospitals of Cleveland and Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA.
authors.forename: Duncan M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Kuhn
authors.forename: Pranab K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Mikherjee
authors.forename: Thomas A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pujol
authors.forename: Jyotsna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chandra
authors.forename: Rana A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Hajjeh
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Warnock
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Soil
authors.forename: Mahmoud A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ghannoum
mesh_terms: D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D002175:Candida / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D006801:Humans; D008922:Mississippi / Q000453:epidemiology; D010740:Phospholipases / Q000378:metabolism; D010802:Phylogeny
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal; D010740:Phospholipases; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases