title: Antifungal susceptibility and virulence attributes of animal-derived isolates of Candida parapsilosis complex.
abstract: This study aimed to identify strains of the Candida parapsilosis complex isolated from animals, as well as to assess their in vitro antifungal susceptibility profile and in vitro production of virulence attributes. We used 28 isolates of C. parapsilosis sensu lato recovered from clinically healthy animals. The strains were characterized phenotypically, followed by molecular identification of the species through PCR-restriction enzyme analysis. The susceptibility of the strains to amphotericin B, itraconazole, voriconazole, fluconazole and caspofungin was assessed through broth microdilution. Additionally, the ability of the strains to produce biofilm, phospholipases and proteases was analysed. Molecular analysis showed 13 C. parapsilosis sensu stricto, 10 Candida orthopsilosis and five Candida metapsilosis strains. In vitro resistance to fluconazole was observed in three strains of C. parapsilosis sensu stricto and two C. metapsilosis. All tested strains were able to form biofilms and 23/28 isolates presented protease production, whilst none was able to produce phospholipases. Our study showed that C. parapsilosis sensu stricto and C. orthopsilosis are the most common species of the C. parapsilosis species complex and that these cryptic species present no significant phenotypical differences.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Legal Medicine, College of Medicine, Postgraduate Program in Medical Microbiology, Specialized Medical Mycology Center, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.
authors.forename: Raimunda Sâmia Nogueira
authors.initials: RSN
authors.lastname: Brilhante
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Legal Medicine, College of Medicine, Postgraduate Program in Medical Microbiology, Specialized Medical Mycology Center, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.
authors.forename: Terezinha de Jesus Santos
authors.initials: TJS
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Legal Medicine, College of Medicine, Postgraduate Program in Medical Microbiology, Specialized Medical Mycology Center, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.
authors.forename: Débora de Souza Collares Maia
authors.initials: DSCM
authors.lastname: Castelo-Branco
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Legal Medicine, College of Medicine, Postgraduate Program in Medical Microbiology, Specialized Medical Mycology Center, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carlos Eduardo Cordeiro
authors.initials: CEC
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Legal Medicine, College of Medicine, Postgraduate Program in Medical Microbiology, Specialized Medical Mycology Center, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ramila de Brito
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Macedo
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Legal Medicine, College of Medicine, Postgraduate Program in Medical Microbiology, Specialized Medical Mycology Center, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.
authors.forename: Silviane Praciano
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Bandeira
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Postgraduate Program in Veterinary Sciences, State University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.|Department of Pathology and Legal Medicine, College of Medicine, Postgraduate Program in Medical Microbiology, Specialized Medical Mycology Center, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.
authors.forename: Lucas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pereira de Alencar
authors.affiliation: Department of Statistics and Applied Mathematics, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.
authors.forename: André Jalles
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Monteiro
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Legal Medicine, College of Medicine, Postgraduate Program in Medical Microbiology, Specialized Medical Mycology Center, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rossana de Aguiar
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Cordeiro
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Christus College (Unichristus), Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.|Department of Pathology and Legal Medicine, College of Medicine, Postgraduate Program in Medical Microbiology, Specialized Medical Mycology Center, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.
authors.forename: Tereza de Jesus Pinheiro Gomes
authors.initials: TJPG
authors.lastname: Bandeira
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Legal Medicine, College of Medicine, Postgraduate Program in Medical Microbiology, Specialized Medical Mycology Center, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.
authors.forename: José Luciano Bezerra
authors.initials: JLB
authors.lastname: Moreira
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Legal Medicine, College of Medicine, Postgraduate Program in Medical Microbiology, Specialized Medical Mycology Center, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.
authors.forename: José Júlio Costa
authors.initials: JJC
authors.lastname: Sidrim
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Postgraduate Program in Veterinary Sciences, State University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.|Department of Pathology and Legal Medicine, College of Medicine, Postgraduate Program in Medical Microbiology, Specialized Medical Mycology Center, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcos Fábio Gadelha
authors.initials: MFG
authors.lastname: Rocha
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development; D002175:Candida / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000662:veterinary*; D004285:Dogs / Q000382:microbiology; D033541:Palaemonidae / Q000382:microbiology; D011563:Psittaciformes / Q000382:microbiology; D014774:Virulence