title: Molecular identification and antifungal susceptibilities of black Aspergillus isolates from otomycosis cases in Hungary.
abstract: Otomycosis, also known as fungal otitis externa, has been used to describe a fungal infection of the external auditory canal, but sometimes involving the middle ear. Many fungal species have been identified as infectious agents in otomycosis, with Aspergillus and Candida species being the most common. Among aspergilli, Aspergillus niger is the most commonly described species in the literature. In this study, 14 black Aspergillus strains were analyzed, which were isolated from otomycosis cases in Hungary between 2010 and 2011. These strains were identified as A. niger according to conventional morphological methods. Species identification was based on sequencing of part of the calmodulin gene. Our results indicate that instead of A. niger, A. awamori and A. tubingensis are the predominant species that cause ear infections in Southern Hungary. Antifungal susceptibility tests were carried out against four antifungal drugs: amphotericin B, itraconazole, ketoconazole and terbinafine. All isolates were found to exhibit low in vitro MIC values to amphotericin B, terbinafine and itraconazole. However, the examined isolates exhibited high in vitro MIC values to ketoconazole.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science & Informatics, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors.forename: Gyöngyi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Szigeti
authors.forename: Sándor
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kocsubé
authors.forename: Ilona
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dóczi
authors.forename: László
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bereczki
authors.forename: Csaba
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vágvölgyi
authors.forename: János
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Varga
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001228:Aspergillosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D001230:Aspergillus / Q000145:classification* / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D002147:Calmodulin / Q000235:genetics; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D059249:Otomycosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D010860:Pigments, Biological / Q000378:metabolism; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D002147:Calmodulin; D004271:DNA, Fungal; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D010860:Pigments, Biological