title: Molecular analysis and dimorphism of azole-susceptible and resistant Candida albicans isolates.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Candida albicans is responsible for superficial or systemic infections known as candidiasis, which may be found in infected tissue as unicellular budding yeasts, hyphae, or pseudohyphae. In this study, the effects of both fluconazole and itraconazole antifungal agents on the hyphal formation and genotypic characterization of C. albicans isolates classified as either susceptible or resistant were investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  The hyphal production of five C. albicans isolates under the action of antifungal agents was investigated by culturing yeast on growth medium and on hyphal induction medium. The genotypic characterization was carried out for 13 isolates of C. albicans using the random amplified polymorphic DNA-polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR) method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The dimorphism analysis showed that the hyphal formation was higher in resistant than in the susceptible isolates to both azoles. The RAPD-PCR method identified the formation of two different groups. In group A, four resistant and two susceptible isolates were clustered, and in group B, one resistant and six susceptible isolates were clustered.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Considering that hyphal formation was higher in resistant isolates in the presence of azole drugs, we confirmed that the hyphal production is closely related to susceptibility to azoles. These drugs may affect the morphogenesis of C. albicans depending on their susceptibility to these drugs. In relation to RAPD-PCR, most resistant isolates classified in group A and susceptible isolates in group B demonstrated that this method presented a similar standard between the two groups, suggesting that by this technique, a strong correlation between genotypes and fluconazole-resistant samples may be found.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brasil.
authors.forename: Carolina Rodrigues
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Lúcia Kioko
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Hasimoto e Souza
authors.forename: Fábio Silvestre
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Ataídes
authors.forename: Pedro Henrique
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Ferri
authors.forename: Maysa Paula da
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Orionalda de Fátima Lisboa
authors.initials: Ode F
authors.lastname: Fernanades
authors.forename: Maria do Rosário Rodrigues
authors.initials: Mdo R
authors.lastname: Silva
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000032:analysis; D025141:Drug Resistance, Fungal; D015725:Fluconazole / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D025301:Hyphae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development*; D017964:Itraconazole / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D019105:Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D004271:DNA, Fungal; D017964:Itraconazole; D015725:Fluconazole