title: In vitro susceptibility of filamentous fungi from mycotic keratitis to azole drugs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The in vitro antifungal activities of azole drugs viz., itraconazole, voriconazole, ketoconazole, econazole and clotrimazole were investigated in order to evaluate their efficacy against filamentous fungi isolated from mycotic keratitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The specimen collection was carried out from fungal keratitis patients attending Aravind eye hospital and Post-graduate institute of ophthalmology, Coimbatore, India and was subsequently processed for the isolation of fungi. The dilutions of antifungal drugs were prepared in RPMI 1640 medium. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined and MIC50 and MIC90 were calculated for each drug tested.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 60 fungal isolates were identified as Fusarium spp. (n=30), non-sporulating moulds (n=9), Aspergillus flavus (n=6), Bipolaris spp. (n=6), Exserohilum spp. (n=4), Curvularia spp. (n=3), Alternaria spp. (n=1) and Exophiala spp. (n=1). The MICs of ketoconazole, clotrimazole, voriconazole, econazole and itraconazole for all the fungal isolates ranged between 16 μg/mL and 0.03 μg/mL, 4 μg/mL and 0.015 μg/mL, 8 μg/mL and 0.015 μg/mL, 8 μg/mL and 0.015 μg/mL and 32 μg/mL and 0.06 μg/mL respectively. From the MIC50 and MIC90 values, it could be deciphered that in the present study, clotrimazole was more active against the test isolates at lower concentrations (0.12-5 μg/mL) when compared to other drugs tested.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that amongst the tested azole drugs, clotrimazole followed by voriconazole and econazole had lower MICs against moulds isolated from mycotic keratitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Dr. G.R. Damodaran College of Science, Avanashi Road, Civil Aerodrome Post, Coimbatore, 641 014, Tamilnadu, India. Electronic address: shobanasenthilkumar@gmail.com.
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Shobana
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Dr. G.R. Damodaran College of Science, Avanashi Road, Civil Aerodrome Post, Coimbatore, 641 014, Tamilnadu, India.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mythili
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science and Informatics, Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Homa
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science and Informatics, Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Galgóczy
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Dr. G.R. Damodaran College of Science, Avanashi Road, Civil Aerodrome Post, Coimbatore, 641 014, Tamilnadu, India.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Priya
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Dr. G.R. Damodaran College of Science, Avanashi Road, Civil Aerodrome Post, Coimbatore, 641 014, Tamilnadu, India.
authors.forename: Y R
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Babu Singh
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, MR Government Arts College, Mannargudi, 614 001, Tamilnadu, India.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Panneerselvam
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science and Informatics, Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vágvölgyi
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science and Informatics, Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kredics
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Aravind Eye Hospital and Post-Graduate institute of Ophthalmology, Coimbatore, 641 014, Tamilnadu, India.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Narendran
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Aravind Eye Hospital and Post-Graduate institute of Ophthalmology, Coimbatore, 641 014, Tamilnadu, India; Department of Medical Laboratory, Applied Medical Sciences College, Majmaah University, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Manikandan
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001393:Azoles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003320:Corneal Ulcer / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D025141:Drug Resistance, Fungal / Q000187:drug effects; D015821:Eye Infections, Fungal / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D005658:Fungi / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D017964:Itraconazole / Q000494:pharmacology; D007634:Keratitis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D007654:Ketoconazole / Q000494:pharmacology; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D001393:Azoles; D017964:Itraconazole; D007654:Ketoconazole
keywords: Antifungal susceptibility and azole drugs; Fungal isolates; Kératite mycosique; Mycotic keratitis; Médicaments azolés; Sensibilité aux antifongique