title: Comparison of the in vitro activity of echinocandins against Candida albicans, Candida dubliniensis, and Candida africana by time-kill curves.
abstract: Candida albicans remains the most common fungal pathogen. This species is closely related to 2 phenotypically similar cryptic species, Candida dubliniensis and Candida africana. This study aims to compare the antifungal activities of echinocandins against 7 C. albicans, 5 C. dubliniensis, and 2 C. africana strains by time-kill methodology. MIC values were similar for the 3 species; however, differences in killing activity were observed among species, isolates, and echinocandins. Echinocandins produced weak killing activity against the 3 species. In all drugs, the fungicidal endpoint (99.9% mortality) was reached at ≤31 h with ≥0.5 μg/mL for anidulafungin in 4 C. albicans and 1 C. dubliniensis, for caspofungin in 1 C. albicans and 2 C. dubliniensis, and for micafungin in 4 C. albicans and 1 C. dubliniensis. None of echinocandins showed lethality against C. africana. Identification of these new cryptic species and time-kill studies would be recommendable when echinocandin treatment fails.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Inmunología, Microbiología y Parasitología, Unidad de formación e investigación multidisciplinar "Microbios y Salud" (UFI 11/25), Facultad de Medicina y Odontología, Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, Bilbao, Spain; Departamento de Farmacología, (UFI 11/25), Facultad de Medicina y Odontología, Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, Bilbao, Spain. Electronic address: sandra.gil@ehu.es.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gil-Alonso
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Farmacología, (UFI 11/25), Facultad de Medicina y Odontología, Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, Bilbao, Spain. Electronic address: nerea.jauregizar@ehu.es.
authors.forename: Nerea
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jauregizar
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Microbiología Experimental, Instituto Investigación Sanitaria La Fe, Hospital Universitario y Politécnico La Fe, Valencia, Spain. Electronic address: canton_emi@gva.es.
authors.forename: Emilia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cantón
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Inmunología, Microbiología y Parasitología, Unidad de formación e investigación multidisciplinar "Microbios y Salud" (UFI 11/25), Facultad de Medicina y Odontología, Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, Bilbao, Spain. Electronic address: elena.eraso@ehu.es.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Eraso
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Inmunología, Microbiología y Parasitología, Unidad de formación e investigación multidisciplinar "Microbios y Salud" (UFI 11/25), Facultad de Medicina y Odontología, Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, Bilbao, Spain. Electronic address: guillermo.quindos@ehu.es.
authors.forename: Guillermo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Quindós
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002175:Candida / Q000187:drug effects*; D054714:Echinocandins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D050296:Microbial Viability / Q000187:drug effects; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D054714:Echinocandins
keywords: Candida africana; Candida albicans; Candida dubliniensis; Echinocandins; Time-kill