Candida albicans biofilms formed into catheters and probes and their resistance to amphotericin B.
In Algeria, many bacterial biofilms have been studied but those of fungal origin, particularly those due to the yeast Candida albicans remained unidentified. The present study was performed at the Chabane Hamdoune hospital in Maghnia (Algeria), where 51 strains of C. albicans representing 16.94% of all taken samples were isolated. They were collected from catheters and probes used in different hospital services with variable rates; the most concerned service was ICU (40.74%) followed by gynecology department (17.39%), while general surgery came third (15.79%). Testing the antifungal property of amphotericin B (AmB) we showed clearly that the sessile cells of C. albicans were much more resistant than their planktonic counterparts (suspended cells), especially when the resistance increased during the different phases of biofilm formation until it reached its threshold at the ripening stage (at 48h). Furthermore, scanning electron microscopy of the isolated strains in the laboratory revealed the formation of biofilms on catheters by C. albicans. Surprisingly, observations revealed the presence of a new structure in these biofilms: a chlamydospore?
Faculté des sciences de la nature et de la vie et des sciences de la terre et de l'univers, université Abou-bekr-belkaid, laboratoire antibiotique antifongique, physico-chimique synthèse et activité biologique, département de biologie, BP 119, Imama 13000 Tlemcen, Algeria.
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Boucherit-Atmani
Faculté des sciences de la nature et de la vie et des sciences de la terre et de l'univers, université Abou-bekr-belkaid, laboratoire antibiotique antifongique, physico-chimique synthèse et activité biologique, département de biologie, BP 119, Imama 13000 Tlemcen, Algeria.
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Seddiki
Faculté des sciences de la nature et de la vie et des sciences de la terre et de l'univers, université Abou-bekr-belkaid, laboratoire antibiotique antifongique, physico-chimique synthèse et activité biologique, département de biologie, BP 119, Imama 13000 Tlemcen, Algeria.
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Boucherit
Faculté des sciences de la nature et de la vie et des sciences de la terre et de l'univers, université Abou-bekr-belkaid, laboratoire antibiotique antifongique, physico-chimique synthèse et activité biologique, département de biologie, BP 119, Imama 13000 Tlemcen, Algeria.
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Sari-Belkharoubi
Dennis Kunkel Microscopy, Inc. P.O. Box 2008 Kailua, HI 96734, USA.
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Kunkel