title: Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis types of Candida albicans isolates from an intensive care unit in a Tunisian hospital.
abstract: Candida albicans is the most important cause of fungal infections in intensive care units. The aim of this work was to compare the profiles of C. albicans in order to specify their genetic polymorphism and to determine the origin of these infections. Thirty-five C. albicans strains were collected from different clinical samples of 12 patients and three health-workers in an intensive care unit (ICU) in Rabta hospital of Tunisia, between August 2007 and April 2008. After digestion with BssHII, the isolates were typed by pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). The PFGE profiles were analyzed using a visual method, which showed three PFGE types (A, B and C) and the dendrogram generated three clusters (clusters I to III). An average similarity coefficient of 0.83, suggests that isolates are related.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Parasitology-Mycology, CHU Rabta, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Khadraoui
authors.forename: Kalthoum
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kallel
authors.forename: Ons
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bouchami
authors.forename: Myriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bouchakoua
authors.forename: Amira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kaouech
authors.forename: Slah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Belhadj
authors.forename: Slah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ben Lakhal
authors.forename: Assia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ben Hassen
authors.forename: Emna
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chaker
mesh_terms: D002176:Candida albicans / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D014416:Tunisia