title: Prevalence and antifungal susceptibility of yeasts obtained from the oral cavity of elderly individuals.
abstract: Infections caused by Candida yeasts are common in elderly individuals. Seventy-five isolates of Candida spp. were obtained from saliva samples of 136 institutionalized elderly individuals resident in six retirement homes of Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Forty-seven isolates (62.66%) were identified as Candida albicans, 15 (20%) as C. tropicalis, 7 (9.33%) as C. glabrata, 4 (5.33) as C. parapsilosis, and 2 (2.67%) as C. guilliermondii. Among the 136 elderly individuals studied, 49 (36%) were male and 87 (64%) were female. Ages ranged from 60 to 90 years old. Sixty-three (46.3%) of the institutionalized individuals were denture wearers and, among them, 53 (84.1%) carried Candida yeasts in the oral cavity. Forty-four subjects presented lesions in the oral mucosa and among these, 36 (82%), had positive culture for Candida spp. The samples were tested for the in vitro susceptibility to amphotericin B, itraconazole, fluconazole and 5-flucytosin, and great variations were observed in the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of these drugs according to the species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Av. Antonio Carlos, 6627, Post office box 486, 31 270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil. maresend@icb.ufmg.br
authors.forename: Maria Aparecida
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: de Resende
authors.forename: Lourimar Viana Nascimento Franco
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: de Sousa
authors.forename: Rita Cássia Botelho Weikert
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.forename: Cristiane Yumi
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Koga-Ito
authors.forename: Juliana Pereira
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Lyon
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002175:Candida / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002180:Candidiasis, Oral / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D003778:Dentures / Q000009:adverse effects; D025141:Drug Resistance, Fungal; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents