title: Prevalence of Candida albicans, Candida dubliniensis and Candida africana in pregnant women suffering from vulvovaginal candidiasis in Argentina.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is a vulvovaginitis commonly diagnosed in gynecology care. In recent years, the taxonomy of the most important pathogenic Candida species, such as Candida albicans have undergone significant changes.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study examined the prevalence of C. albicans, Candida africana, and Candida dubliniensis in vaginal specimens from 210 pregnant women suffering from vulvovaginitis or having asymptomatic colonization.
  
  
  METHODS
  Phenotypic and molecular methods were used for the identification of the species.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the studied period, 55 isolates of Candida or other yeasts were obtained from specimens collected from 52 patients suffering from vulvovaginitis (24.8%). C. albicans was the predominant Candida species in 42 isolates (80.7%), either alone or in combination with other species of the genus (5.7%, n=3). Additionally, nine isolates of C. albicans (50%) were obtained from asymptomatic patients (n=18). C. dubliniensis was the causative agent in 2 (3.8%) cases of VVC, and was also isolated in one asymptomatic patient. Molecular assays were carried out using specific PCR to amplify the ACT1-associated intron sequence of C. dubliniensis. The amplification of the HWP1 gene also correctly identified isolates of the species C. albicans and C. dubliniensis. No C. africana was isolated in this work. Some C. albicans isolates were either homozygous or heterozygous at the HWP1 locus. The distribution of heterozygous and homozygous C. albicans isolates at the HWP1 locus was very similar among patients suffering from VVC and asymptomatic patients (p=0.897).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The presence of C. albicans and C. dubliniensis, and the absence of C. africana in pregnant is noteworthy.
authors.affiliation: Hospital Materno Infantil Ramón Sardá, Esteban de Luca 2151, CP 1246 Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: María Josefina
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Mucci
authors.affiliation: Instituto of Microbiología y Parasitología Médica, Universidad de Buenos Aires-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (IMPaM, UBA-CONICET), Paraguay 2155, piso 11, CP 1121ABG Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: María Luján
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Cuestas
authors.affiliation: Instituto of Microbiología y Parasitología Médica, Universidad de Buenos Aires-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (IMPaM, UBA-CONICET), Paraguay 2155, piso 11, CP 1121ABG Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: María Fernanda
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Landanburu
authors.affiliation: Instituto of Microbiología y Parasitología Médica, Universidad de Buenos Aires-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (IMPaM, UBA-CONICET), Paraguay 2155, piso 11, CP 1121ABG Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address: mtmujica@gmail.com.
authors.forename: María Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Mujica
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D058070:Asymptomatic Diseases; D002175:Candida / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002181:Candidiasis, Vulvovaginal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007121:Immunocompetence; D016533:Mycological Typing Techniques; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D015995:Prevalence; D013045:Species Specificity; D014621:Vagina / Q000382:microbiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Candida africana; Candida albicans; Candida dubliniensis; Candidiasis vulvovaginal; Vulvovaginal candidiasis