ارزشيابي روش هاي تشخيص فنوتيپي جهت افتراق كانديدا دابلي ينسيس از كانديدا آلبيكنس

Diagnostic Methods to Distinguish Candida dubliniensis from Candida albicans

Objective: The aim of this study is to survey the presence of candida among the clinical isolates and the evaluating the phenotypic diagnostic methods to distinguish candida dubliniensis from candida albicans. Materials and Methods: The present study evaluated 520 clinical isolates through five phenotypic methods of differential diagnosis. The methods were performed in two stages of probable diagnosis and absolute diagnosis (supplementary test). In the first stage, colony colour in CHRO Magar candida medium, and chlamydocanidia in casein agar grown at 45°C were assessed. The isolates that demonstrated the characteristic of candida dubliniensis at this stage were tested in the second stage in terms of assimilation of terehalose and xylose and intercellular P-D-glucosidase activity. Results: 13 out of the 520 isolates suspected to candida dubliniensis were diagnosed to in the first stage. In the second stage, five were identified as candida dubliniensis using supplemental tests, which contained 4 isolates from the vagina and one from urine. Conclusion: The present study determined the incidence of candida dubliniensis in vagina, urine and total of the clinical isolates to be 1.33%, 0.74% and 0.96%, respectively. According to the findings of this study, among the phenotypic methods of differential diagnosis, use of CHROM agar candida medium with intercellular 13-D-glucosidase activity for fresh isolates obtained from clinical specimens is suggested, whereas, for the isolates obtained from subcultures, phenotypic methods are not recommended.