title: Antifungal susceptibility of Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii isolates from decayed wood of trunk hollows of Ficus religiosa and Syzygium cumini trees in north-western India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We present antifungal susceptibility data on environmental isolates of Cryptococcus neoformans (serotype A, n=117) and Cryptococcus gattii (serotype B, n=65) cultured from decayed wood of trunk hollows of Ficus religiosa and Syzygium cumini trees.
  
  
  METHODS
  Susceptibilities to amphotericin B, fluconazole, ketoconazole, itraconazole and voriconazole were determined by using Etest. The MICs were read after 48 h as per the guidelines provided by the manufacturer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The MIC90s and susceptibility ranges for C. neoformans isolates were as follows: 0.094 (0.004-0.25) mg/L for amphotericin B, 4 (0.032-12) mg/L for fluconazole, 0.094 (0.004-0.75) mg/L for itraconazole, 0.064 (0.002-0.19) mg/L for ketoconazole, and 0.047 (0.006-0.125) mg/L for voriconazole, whereas for C. gattii isolates these were 0.125 (0.023-0.5) mg/L for amphotericin B, 8 (0.032-16) mg/L for fluconazole, 0.75 (0.006-2) mg/L for itraconazole, 0.125 (0.003-0.19) mg/L for ketoconazole, and 0.094 (0.004-0.125) mg/L for voriconazole. A comparison of the geometric means of MICs (mg/L) revealed that C. gattii was less susceptible than C. neoformans to amphotericin B (0.075 versus 0.051, P=0.0003), fluconazole (2.912 versus 2.316, P=0.003), itraconazole (0.198 versus 0.0344, P<0.0001), ketoconazole (0.072 versus 0.037, P<0.0001), and voriconazole (0.045 versus 0.023, P<0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The antifungal susceptibility data obtained in this study indicate that the occurrence of primary resistance among environmental isolates of C. neoformans serotype A and C. gattii serotype B is rare, and serotype B isolates are less susceptible than serotype A isolates.
authors.affiliation: Mycology Reference Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Kuwait. ziauddin@hsc.edu.kw
authors.forename: Zia U
authors.initials: ZU
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Harbans S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Randhawa
authors.forename: Tusharantak
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kowshik
authors.forename: Anuradha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chowdhary
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chandy
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003454:Cryptococcus / Q000187:drug effects*; D003455:Cryptococcus neoformans / Q000187:drug effects*; D025141:Drug Resistance, Fungal; D030681:Ficus / Q000382:microbiology*; D007194:India; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D012703:Serotyping; D027842:Syzygium / Q000382:microbiology*; D014934:Wood / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents