title: Molecular typing of Candida albicans isolates from hospitalized patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The majority of nosocomial fungal infections are caused by Candida spp. where C. albicans is the species most commonly identified. Molecular methods are important tools for assessing the origin of the yeasts isolated in hospitals.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a study on the genetic profiles of 39 nosocomial clinical isolates of C. albicans using two typing methods: random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and microsatellite, two different primers for each technique were used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  RAPD provided 10 and 11 different profiles with values for S(AB) of 0.84 ± 0.126 and 0.88 ± 0.08 for primers M2 and P4, respectively. Microsatellite using two markers, CDC3 and HIS3, allowed the observation of six and seven different alleles, respectively, with combined discriminatory power of 0.91.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although genetic variability is clear, it was possible to identify high similarity, suggesting a common origin for at least a part of isolates. It is important to emphasize that common origin was proven from yeasts isolated from colonization (urine, catheter or endotracheal secretions) and blood culture from the same patient, indicating that the candidemia must have started from a site of colonization. The combination of RAPD and microsatellite provides a quick and efficient analysis for investigation of similarity among nosocomial isolates of C. albicans.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Medical Mycology, Department of Clinical Analysis and Biomedicine.
authors.forename: Patrícia de Souza
authors.initials: Pde S
authors.lastname: Bonfim-Mendonça
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fiorini
authors.forename: Cristiane Suemi
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Shinobu-Mesquita
authors.forename: Lilian Cristiane
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Baeza
authors.forename: Maria Aparecida
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Fernandez
authors.forename: Terezinha Inez Estivalet
authors.initials: TI
authors.lastname: Svidzinski
mesh_terms: D002176:Candida albicans / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000382:microbiology*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000382:microbiology*; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000235:genetics; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D016533:Mycological Typing Techniques; D019105:Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004271:DNA, Fungal