title: Molecular Detection of Resistance to Echinocandins.
abstract: In the last years, life-threatening fungal diseases have increased significantly, due to the rising number of human individuals susceptible to fungal infections, which are in part complicated by the emergence of antifungal drug-resistant pathogens. Among yeasts, Candida albicans and Candida glabrata are the most common organisms responsible for invasive fungal diseases. The molecular detection of echinocandin resistance in Candida species may represent a useful means of monitoring the incidence of clinical isolates with antifungal resistance-associated gene alterations. Here, we describe the current methods that enable researchers and/or clinical microbiologists to accurately detect echinocandin-resistant isolates of C. albicans and C. glabrata.
authors.affiliation: Section of Hygiene, Institute of Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Francesco Vito 1, Rome, 00168, Italy. brunella.posteraro@unicatt.it.
authors.forename: Brunella
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Posteraro
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonietta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vella
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: De Carolis
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sanguinetti
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002175:Candida / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D025141:Drug Resistance, Fungal / Q000235:genetics*; D054714:Echinocandins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D054714:Echinocandins
keywords: Antifungal drug resistance; Fungal pathogens; Gene sequencing; Molecular analysis; Quantitative real-time RT-PCR