Yeast fungi in patients with allergic diseases: Species variety and sensitivity to antifungal drugs

Yeast microflora was studied in the skin of 91 patients with atopic dermatitis, in bronchial secretion of 13 patients with bronchial asthma and 8 patients with allergic bronchopulmonary mycosis. Forty-eight isolates were obtained. Alypophilic yeast fungi isolated from the skin were presented mainly by genera Candida spp. (48%) and Rhodotorula spp. (29%), while the cultures isolated from bronchial secretion mainly by Candida albicans. The sensitivity of yeast cultures to the antifungal drugs diflucan, clotrimazole, nizoral, orungal, exoderil, levorin, pymafuzin, and nitrofungin was determined. The most efficient drugs were diflucan, clotrimazole, nizoral, and orungal. More than half isolates were sensitive only to the high concentrations of levorin (48%), pymafuzin (75%), and nitrofungin (82%); 64% isolates were insensitive even to high concentrations of exoderil. Preliminary in vitro selection of the antifungal drugs is required for efficient elimination of the yeasts.