detection of virulence factors from candida spp. isolated from oral and vaginal candidiasis in iraqi patients

yeast-like fungi (ylf) of the genus candida are unicellular microorganisms of relatively large size and rounded shape, aerobes, and belong to conditionally pathogenic microorganisms. the genus candida includes approximately 150 species, which are classified as deuteromycetes due to the absence of a sexual stage of development. this study aimed to identify virulence factors from candida spp. isolated from oral and vaginal candidiasis. fifty-eight oral and vaginal swab specimens were collected from patients, including (28) oral swabs from children and (30) vaginal swabs from different infected women. all isolates were subjected to direct examination, morphological tests, germ tube formation, growth at 45ºc, chrom agar candida culture, and vitek 2 compact system to ensure this diagnosis. (31) isolates were identified as candida spp., including (21) (c. albicans (14), c. glabrata (1), c. guilliermondii (2), c. dubliniensis (3), c. parapsilosis (1)) were isolated from oral swabs and (10) isolates includedc. parapsilosis (4), c. albicans (6) were isolated from vaginal swabs. moreover, these isolates had been detected to have some virulence factors, including phospholipase, esterase, proteinase, coagulase, hemolysin, and biofilm formation. different species of candida were isolated and identified from oral and vaginal. phospholipase (pz), esterase (ez), and proteinase (prz) were produced by 19 (61.29%), 16 (51.61%), and 26(83.87%), respectively, out of 31 isolates, whereas. all isolates produce coagulase enzyme except c. dubliniensis, which did not produce coagulase enzyme. all candida spp. isolates produce hemolysin and biofilm formation in different percentages.