Search for Candida dubliniensis in HIV plus patients in Abidjan (Ivory Coast)

Justifications. - According to our knowledge, no search for Candida dubliniensis was done in Ivory Coast. This species is wrongly identified as Candida albicans very often because of their morphological similarities. However, their sensitivity to usual antifungal agents is different since C. dubliniensis is not sensitive to the azoles and especially to fluconazole. Thus, it is of interest to evaluate the actual proportion of this species among the strains identified as C. albicans. Objective. - To seek C. dubliniensis among the strains identified as C. albicans isolated from HIV positive patients with oral and/or vulva-vaginal candidiasis. Material and methods. - Samplings was made from HIV infected patients with oral candidiasis and/or leucorrhoea associated to vulva itching or burns, in CePReF of Yopougon and the Unit of the Ambulatory Care and Council of the CHU of Treichville. The strains identified as C. albicans by germ tube test, chlamydosporulation test and an auxanogram were selected for the research of C. dubliniensis. This research was carried out by cultures on Pat Agar (R) medium and Candida ID2 (R) medium, the test of temperature at 45 degrees C, the test of agglutination in Bichro-Dubli (R) and the identification by molecular biology (PCR) in comparison with reference strains of C. albicans and C. dubliniensis. Results. - On 154 tested samples, 107 cultures were positive. The blastese test, the chlamydosporulation test and the auxanogram permitted to identify 104 strains of C. albicans, one strain of C. parapsilosis, one strain of C. glabrata and one strain of C. inconspicua. The 104 strains identified as C. albicans gave various morphological results for the chlamydosporulation test, the Pat Agar medium, the Candida ID2 (R) medium and the test of temperature at 45 degrees C. The test of agglutination on Bichro-Dubli (R) was negative for the 104 strains. The results of the PCR allow us to affirm that all. the selected strains were really strains of C. albicans. Conclusion. - This is the first study on C. dubliniensis in Ivory Coast. The results are in favor of an absence or a scarcity of this species in Abidjan. (C) 2008 Elsevier Masson SAS.