title: Genotyping and Persistence of Candida albicans from Pregnant Women with Vulvovaginal Candidiasis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study Candida albicans genotypes using RAPD and their susceptibility to fluconazole in healthy pregnant women and in vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) patients after topical treatment with clotrimazole.
  
  
  METHODS
  Vaginal swabs were collected at t = 0 and t = 1 (1 month later) in pregnant women (control group, n = 33), and before (t = 0), at 1 month (t = 1) and at 2 months (t = 2) after clotrimazole treatment in pregnant women with VVC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Candida albicans was isolated in 30% of healthy pregnant women and 80% of patients with VVC. A high genetic heterogeneity was observed in C. albicans genotypes between individuals. In patients with VVC, topical antifungal treatment with clotrimazole was clinically effective, but only in a 62% C. albicans was eradicated. In patients in which C. albicans was not eradicated, this microorganism persisted for 1 or 2 months after the antifungal treatment. The persistent colonies were not associated with a specific genotype, but they were associated with higher MICs in comparison with colonies isolated from the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Therapy with topical clotrimazole, despite a good clinical outcome, could not eradicate completely C. albicans allowing the persistence of genotypes, with higher MICs to fluconazole. More studies with higher number of patients are needed to validate this preliminary finding.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Microbiología y Micología, ICBM, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile. cetapia@med.uchile.cl.|Laboratorio Clínica Dávila, Santiago, Chile. cetapia@med.uchile.cl.
authors.forename: Cecilia V
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Tapia
authors.affiliation: Programa de Microbiología y Micología, ICBM, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Germán
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hermosilla
authors.affiliation: Programa de Microbiología y Micología, ICBM, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fortes
authors.affiliation: Escuela de Tecnología Médica, Universidad Mayor, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Alburquenque
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas Animales, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias, Centro Biotecnológico Biovetec, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bucarey
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Hospital Clínico, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Salinas
authors.affiliation: Center for Integrative Medicine and Innovative Science, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Paula I
authors.initials: PI
authors.lastname: Rodas
authors.affiliation: Programa de Microbiología y Micología, ICBM, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: María Cristina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Díaz
authors.affiliation: Programa de Microbiología y Micología, ICBM, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile. fabienmagne@med.uchile.cl.|Laboratoire de Biologie, Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers, Paris, Île-de-France, France. fabienmagne@med.uchile.cl.
authors.forename: Fabien
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8210-4561
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Magne
mesh_terms: D000287:Administration, Topical; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000145:classification* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002181:Candidiasis, Vulvovaginal / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D003022:Clotrimazole / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D015725:Fluconazole / Q000494:pharmacology; D005838:Genotype; D060005:Genotyping Techniques; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D019105:Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D015725:Fluconazole; D003022:Clotrimazole
keywords: C. albicans; Clotrimazole; Genotypes; Persistence; Pregnant women; RAPD; Resistance; Vulvovaginal candidiasis