title: A study of antifungal drug sensitivity of Candida isolated from human immunodeficiency virus infected patients in Chennai, South India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study was to study the drug sensitivity pattern of Candida seen in HIV seropositive patients in Chennai, South India.
  
  
  METHODS
  36 oral rinse samples were collected from HIV seropositive individuals with (21 patients) and without (15 patients) clinical candidiasis. The type of Candidiasis, quantitative estimation, differentiation of candida species and antifungal susceptibility testing was done using different tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the 21 patients with candidiasis, pseudomembranous type predominated with low CD4 counts and high colony forming units. Antifungal Drug sensitivity test revealed resistance to fluconazole which is attributed to long term exposure to the drug.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of the study confirm the hypothesis that candidal species can be isolated in HIV positive patients with clinical candidiasis. In HIV infection there are fluconazole resistant candida species emerging mainly due to long term exposure to the drug.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology, Thai Moogambigai Dental College, Ragas Dental College, Chennai, India.
authors.forename: Nadeem
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jeddy
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ranganathan
authors.forename: Uma
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Devi
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Joshua