High prevalence of Candida dubliniensis in lower respiratory tract secretions from cystic fibrosis patients may be related to increased adherence properties.
OBJECTIVE
We identified Candida spp isolated from lower respiratory tract secretions obtained from cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), with the aim of determining the most prevalent causative agent. We also sought to determine their adhesive properties in order to understand their biology related to CF.


METHODS
Twenty-five clinical samples were collected from a cohort of 20 CF patients. Twenty-six isolates of Candida spp were isolated and identified by MALDI-TOF MS method. Adherence assays were performed using the Fluxion BioFlux 200, a flow apparatus that allows for the visualization of adhering cells.


RESULTS
MALDI-TOF MS analysis revealed C. dubliniensis to be the most prevalent species (n=18, 69%), followed by C. albicans (n=4), C. tropicalis (n=3), and C. glabrata (n=1). C. dubliniensis showed the strongest adherence under constant flow when compared to the other species of Candida. In the majority of cases, C. dubliniensis was isolated in combination with Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. C. dubliniensis appears to be able to survive in the CF lung and coexist with bacteria.


CONCLUSIONS
The data presented here show that the presence of C. dubliniensis in the lower airways of CF patients may be related to increased adherence properties.
Departments of Pediatrics, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, PO Box 3050, Qatar; Weill Cornell Medical College, Doha, Qatar. Electronic address: atiqaaw@yahoo.com.
Atqah Abdul
AA
Wahab
Microbiology Division, Laboratory of Medicine and Pathology, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
Saad J
SJ
Taj-Aldeen
CBS Fungal Biodiversity Center, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Anna
A
Kolecka
Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, Doha, Qatar.
Mei
M
ElGindi
Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, Doha, Qatar.
Jonathan S
JS
Finkel
CBS Fungal Biodiversity Center, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, University Medical Center, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Department of Dermatology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Medical Mycology, Institute of Dermatology and Medical Mycology, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China; Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
Teun
T
Boekhout
D000293:Adolescent; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000737:chemistry; D002175:Candida / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D060085:Coinfection; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000254:growth & development; D012137:Respiratory System / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; D013183:Sputum / Q000737:chemistry; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000254:growth & development; D055815:Young Adult
Adhesion; Candida dubliniensis; Cystic fibrosis; MALDI-TOF