title: Exploring ecological modelling to investigate factors governing the colonization success in nosocomial environment of Candida albicans and other pathogenic yeasts.
abstract: Two hundred seventy seven strains from eleven opportunistic species of the genus Candida, isolated from two Italian hospitals, were identified and analyzed for their ability to form biofilm in laboratory conditions. The majority of Candida albicans strains formed biofilm while among the NCAC species there were different level of biofilm forming ability, in accordance with the current literature. The relation between the variables considered, i.e. the departments and the hospitals or the species and their ability to form biofilm, was tested with the assessment of the probability associated to each combination. Species and biofilm forming ability appeared to be distributed almost randomly, although some combinations suggest a potential preference of some species or of biofilm forming strains for specific wards. On the contrary, the relation between biofilm formation and species isolation frequency was highly significant (R(2) around 0.98). Interestingly, the regression analyses carried out on the data of the two hospitals separately were rather different and the analysis on the data merged together gave a much lower correlation. These findings suggest that, harsh environments shape the composition of microbial species significantly and that each environment should be considered per se to avoid less significant statistical treatments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences-Microbiology, University of Perugia, Borgo 20 Giugno 74, 06121 Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Corte
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences-Microbiology, University of Perugia, Borgo 20 Giugno 74, 06121 Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Roscini
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences-Microbiology, University of Perugia, Borgo 20 Giugno 74, 06121 Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Colabella
authors.affiliation: U.O. Malattie Infettive, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Pisana, Via Paradisa 2, Cisanello, 56100 Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tascini
authors.affiliation: U.O. Malattie Infettive, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Pisana, Via Paradisa 2, Cisanello, 56100 Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leonildi
authors.affiliation: U.O. Medicina d'Urgenza (Emergency Medicine Unit) Universitaria, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Pisana, Via Paradisa 2, Cisanello, 56100 Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Emanuela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sozio
authors.affiliation: U.O. Malattie Infettive, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Pisana, Via Paradisa 2, Cisanello, 56100 Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Menichetti
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Clinic, Santa Maria Misericordia University Hospital, Piazzale Santa Maria della Misericordia, 15, 33100 Udine, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Merelli
authors.affiliation: Microbiology Unit, Santa Maria Misericordia University Hospital, Piazzale Santa Maria della Misericordia, 15, 33100 Udine, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Scarparo
authors.affiliation: Molecular Mycology Research Laboratory, Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Sydney Medical School - Westmead Hospital, Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, The University of Sydney, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Wieland
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences-Microbiology, University of Perugia, Borgo 20 Giugno 74, 06121 Perugia, Italy.|CEMIN, Centre of Excellence on Nanostructured Innovative Materials, Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, Via Elce di Sotto 8, 06123 Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: Gianluigi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cardinali
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Clinic, Santa Maria Misericordia University Hospital, Piazzale Santa Maria della Misericordia, 15, 33100 Udine, Italy.
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bassetti
mesh_terms: D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development*; D002175:Candida / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000382:microbiology*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000382:microbiology*; D006748:Hospital Departments; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D013045:Species Specificity; D015003:Yeasts / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology