Medically Relevant Species of Candida

A special issue of Journal of Fungi (ISSN 2309-608X). This special issue belongs to the section "Fungal Pathogenesis and Disease Control".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2024) | Viewed by 4209

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Unitat de Microbiologia, Facultat de Medicina i Ciènces de la Salut, Universitat Rovira i Virgili and Institut d'Investigatió Sanitaria Pere Virgili (IISPV), Reus, Spain
Interests: the study and development of antifungal therapies against opportunistic fungal infections as well as virulence factors of fungi causing human infections
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Unit of Microbiology, Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili, University Rovira i Virgili, Reus, Spain
Interests: immunology of infectious diseases; mycology; opportunistic fungi; in vivo models; environmental microbiology; basic molecular biology techniques; antifungal susceptibility testing; bacterial infections and mycoses
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Invasive candidiasis (IC) is the most common healthcare-associated invasive mycosis, causing a high percentage of human morbidity and mortality. Candida albicans is the most prevalent etiology agent; however, there has been an increase in the clinical incidence of non-albicans species such Candida glabrata, Candida parapsilosis, Candida krusei (Pichia kudriavzevii) and, more recently, Candida auris. Although Candida isolates displaying antifungal resistance are still uncommon, in recent years, the efficacy of antifungal drugs has been compromised by the emergence of isolates that show a particular susceptibility pattern, which compromises the effectiveness of the treatment. Consequently, the therapy of IC is an unsolved clinical challenge and, for this reason, monitoring antifungal susceptibility patterns and resistance mechanisms is of the utmost importance. This Special Issue will focus on the study of the epidemiology and antifungal and pathogenic characterization of medically relevant species of Candida.

Dr. Javier Capilla
Dr. Marta Sanchis
Guest Editors

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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10 pages, 877 KiB  
Communication
Follow the Path: Unveiling an Azole Resistant Candida parapsilosis Outbreak by FTIR Spectroscopy and STR Analysis
by Elena De Carolis, Carlotta Magrì, Giulio Camarlinghi, Vittorio Ivagnes, Bram Spruijtenburg, Eelco F. J. Meijer, Cristiano Scarselli, Eva Maria Parisio and Maurizio Sanguinetti
J. Fungi 2024, 10(11), 753; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof10110753 (registering DOI) - 30 Oct 2024
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Abstract
Accurate identification and rapid genotyping of Candida parapsilosis, a significant opportunistic pathogen in healthcare settings, is crucial for managing outbreaks, timely intervention, and effective infection control measures. This study includes 24 clinical samples and 2 positive environmental surveillance swabs collected during a [...] Read more.
Accurate identification and rapid genotyping of Candida parapsilosis, a significant opportunistic pathogen in healthcare settings, is crucial for managing outbreaks, timely intervention, and effective infection control measures. This study includes 24 clinical samples and 2 positive environmental surveillance swabs collected during a fluconazole-resistant Candida parapsilosis outbreak at the Tuscany Rehabilitation Clinic (Clinica di Riabilitazione Toscana, CRT), located in the province of Arezzo, Italy. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, genetic sequencing of the ERG11 gene, and short tandem repeat (STR) analysis was applied to track the fluconazole-resistant C. parapsilosis outbreak at the CRT facility. FTIR analysis clustered the isolates into two major groups, correlating with resistance-associated ERG11 mutations (Y132F and R398I), azole resistance levels, and year of isolation. The combined use of FTIR spectroscopy and STR typing provided a comprehensive approach to identify and track fluconazole-resistant C. parapsilosis isolates, which identified specific clusters of genetically similar isolates. By comparison with feasible molecular techniques, we conclude that FTIR spectroscopy applied in real time can inform targeted infection control strategies and aid in the effective management of nosocomial infections. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Medically Relevant Species of Candida)
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12 pages, 1019 KiB  
Article
Epidemiology of Candidemia in Mashhad, Northeast Iran: A Prospective Multicenter Study (2019–2021)
by Somayeh Dolatabadi, Mohammad Javad Najafzadeh, Abbas Raeisabadi, Hossein Zarrinfar, Mahsa Jalali, Bram Spruijtenburg, Eelco F. J. Meijer, Jacques F. Meis, Cornelia Lass-Flörl and Theun de Groot
J. Fungi 2024, 10(7), 481; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof10070481 - 12 Jul 2024
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Abstract
Candidemia is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in health care settings, and its epidemiology is changing. In the last two decades, the proportion of non-albicans Candida (NAC) yeasts in candidemia has increased. These yeasts more often display resistance to common [...] Read more.
Candidemia is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in health care settings, and its epidemiology is changing. In the last two decades, the proportion of non-albicans Candida (NAC) yeasts in candidemia has increased. These yeasts more often display resistance to common antifungals. In many western countries, candidemia is mainly caused by susceptible C. albicans, while in resource-limited countries, including Iran, the candidemia species distribution is studied less often. Here, we investigated the species distribution, resistance levels, and characteristics of patients with candidemia in five hospitals in Mashhad (northeast Iran) for two years (2019–2021). Yeast isolates from blood were identified with MALDI-TOF MS and subjected to antifungal susceptibility testing (AFST) using the broth microdilution method, while molecular genotyping was applied to Candida parapsilosis isolates. In total, 160 yeast isolates were recovered from 160 patients, of which the majority were adults (60%). Candidemia was almost equally detected in men (48%) and women (52%). Almost half of patients (n = 67, 49%) were from intensive care units (ICUs). C. parapsilosis (n = 58, 36%) was the most common causative agent, surpassing C. albicans (n = 52, 33%). The all-cause mortality rate was 53%, with C. albicans candidemia displaying the lowest mortality with 39%, in contrast to a mortality rate of 59% for NAC candidemia. With microbroth AFST, nearly all tested isolates were found to be susceptible, except for one C. albicans isolate that was resistant to anidulafungin. By applying short tandem repeat (STR) genotyping to C. parapsilosis, multiple clusters were found. To summarize, candidemia in Mashhad, Iran, from 2019 to 2021, is characterized by common yeast species, in particular C. parapsilosis, for which STR typing indicates potential nosocomial transmission. The overall mortality is high, while resistance rates were found to be low, suggesting that the high mortality is linked to limited diagnostic options and insufficient medical care, including the restricted use of echinocandins as the first treatment option. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Medically Relevant Species of Candida)
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Review

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34 pages, 3363 KiB  
Review
Stephanoascus ciferrii Complex: The Current State of Infections and Drug Resistance in Humans
by Terenzio Cosio, Francesca Pica, Carla Fontana, Enrico Salvatore Pistoia, Marco Favaro, Isabel Valsecchi, Nikkia Zarabian, Elena Campione, Françoise Botterel and Roberta Gaziano
J. Fungi 2024, 10(4), 294; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof10040294 - 18 Apr 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2609
Abstract
In recent years, the incidence of fungal infections in humans has increased dramatically, accompanied by an expansion in the number of species implicated as etiological agents, especially environmental fungi never involved before in human infection. Among fungal pathogens, Candida species are the most [...] Read more.
In recent years, the incidence of fungal infections in humans has increased dramatically, accompanied by an expansion in the number of species implicated as etiological agents, especially environmental fungi never involved before in human infection. Among fungal pathogens, Candida species are the most common opportunistic fungi that can cause local and systemic infections, especially in immunocompromised individuals. Candida albicans (C. albicans) is the most common causative agent of mucosal and healthcare-associated systemic infections. However, during recent decades, there has been a worrying increase in the number of emerging multi-drug-resistant non-albicans Candida (NAC) species, i.e., C. glabrata, C. parapsilosis, C. tropicalis, C. krusei, C. auris, and C. ciferrii. In particular, Candida ciferrii, also known as Stephanoascus ciferrii or Trichomonascus ciferrii, is a heterothallic ascomycete yeast-like fungus that has received attention in recent decades as a cause of local and systemic fungal diseases. Today, the new definition of the S. ciferrii complex, which consists of S. ciferrii, Candida allociferrii, and Candida mucifera, was proposed after sequencing the 18S rRNA gene. Currently, the S. ciferrii complex is mostly associated with non-severe ear and eye infections, although a few cases of severe candidemia have been reported in immunocompromised individuals. Low susceptibility to currently available antifungal drugs is a rising concern, especially in NAC species. In this regard, a high rate of resistance to azoles and more recently also to echinocandins has emerged in the S. ciferrii complex. This review focuses on epidemiological, biological, and clinical aspects of the S. ciferrii complex, including its pathogenicity and drug resistance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Medically Relevant Species of Candida)
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