Cell surface hydrophobicity of Candida albicans isolated from elder patients undergoing denture-related candidosis

The virulence potential of Candida albicans strains enrolled in denture-related candidosis still remains uncertain. Candida albicans cells with higher cell surface hydrophobicity (CSH) rates, so-called hydrophobic, present higher adhesion success in different host tissues than cells with lower rates, or even hydrophilic. The proposition of this study was to evaluate the differences in the CSH of strains isolated from denture users with and without denture-related candidosis. The strains were obtained from two paired groups of patients living a same retirement house. Fungal cells were submitted to CSH evaluation by the hydrocarbon partition test using xylene. The measures revealed that the yeasts from patients with candidosis had CSH values ranging from 4.52% to 12.24%, with an average of 8.22 +/- 2.92%. In the countergroup, the CSH ranged from 3.86% to 14.36%, with an average of 8.38 +/- 3.76%. The difference between the groups were considered not relevant (p = 0.997). The results let to the inference that natural populations of C. albicans from patients with and without clinical manifestation denture-related candidosis do not differ one from the other regarding to CSH.