ADHERENCE OF CANDIDA-ALBICANS ISOLATES FROM HIV+ PATIENTS TO BUCCAL EPITHELIAL-CELLS - CORRELATION WITH SEROTYPE, FLUCONAZOLE SENSITIVITY AND VIRULENCE

During infection by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), oral pseudomembranous candidiasis frequency is high. Adherence of Candida albicans to epithelial cells constitutes one of the first step in the setting up of candidiasis. Adherence ability of Candida albicans to buccal epithelial cells (BEC) is estimated for 83 isolates. The yeasts are isolated from buccal swabs from HIV+ patients with clinical oropharyngeal candidiasis. Results show that Candida albicans ability to adhere to BEC is variable within isolates; it appears that most of the isolates are weakly adherent. In addition, adherence is not correlated with the serotype A or B of yeasts. We do not either observe any correlation between adherence capacity and sensibility of yeasts to fluconazole. Moreover, no correlation is observed between a group of 13 genetically identical isolates (analysed on 21 loci with isoenzymes method) and their adherence to BEC. Finally, Candida albicans virulence, which is studied in vivo on intravenously infected mouse model, does not seem to be correlated with capacity of each yeast to adhere on BEC in vitro.