In vitro susceptibility and sterol biosynthesis of Candida albicans strains after long-term treatment with azoles in HIV-infected patients

In vitro susceptibility of yeasts for fluconazole and itraconazole. Evaluation of a microdilution test

In vitro susceptibilities were determined for a total of 159 clinical isolates and 12 reference strains of yeasts belonging to different Candida species including 94 Candida albicans strains, and further genera such as Cryptococcus, Trichosporon, Geotrichum and Saccharomyces. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values for fluconazole and itraconazole were assessed using a microdilution technique with the semisynthetic high resolution (HR) medium supplemented with glucose and asparagine but without sodium hydrogen carbonate (pH 7.0), according to a proposal of the working group 'Clinical Mycology' of the German Speaking Mycological Society. Fluconazole MIC values for C. albicans were between 0.125 and > or = 128 micrograms ml-1. Thus, the median of 1 microgram ml-1 showed that the overall fluconazole susceptibility was good. As expected, Candida krusei (seven strains) exhibited diminished in vitro susceptibility with MIC values for fluconazole of 8 to 128 micrograms ml-1 with a median of 64 micrograms ml-1. Some Candida kefyr strains seemed to be less susceptible against fluconazole which was indicated by a MIC90 of 64 micrograms ml-1. Surprisingly, no Candida glabrata isolate exhibited a MIC value greater than 16 micrograms ml-1. Other Candida species, Trichosporon cutaneum, Geotrichum candidum and Saccharomyces cerevisiae showed low MICs to fluconazole. In vitro susceptibility testing of itraconazole revealed that all Candida species except C. albicans, but also Trichosporon cutaneum, Geotrichum candidum, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae exhibited acceptable low MIC values against itraconazole (0.03-2 micrograms ml-1). Their MIC90 values for itraconazole were in the close range between 0.125 and 2 micrograms ml-1. MIC values between 0.125 and 2 micrograms ml-1 were obtained, even for C. krusei strains. On the other hand, the range of C. albicans MICs was between 0.0125 and > or = 16 micrograms ml-1 with MIC50 and MIC90 values of 0.125 and > or = 16 micrograms ml-1, respectively, indicating that a considerable number of yeast strains have high MICs. The comparative evaluation of different experimental conditions revealed that there exists a marked influence both of inoculum size and incubation time on the results of susceptibility testing. Therefore, for routine usage 10(2) CFU ml-1 and 18-24 h incubation time for this microdilution method with HR medium are recommended.

Azole resistance in Candida

Resistance of Candida to azoles is an increasing problem. Susceptibility testing of Candida against fluconazole and ketoconazole is now feasible and desirable. Good correlation of resistance in vitro with clinical failure of fluconazole therapy has now been shown in mucosal candidiasis. The relationship, if any, between resistance and clinical failure in the context of invasive candidiasis is not clear at present and additional correlative work needs to be done. Monitoring of resistance trends in Candida is clearly important now.

Patterns of in vitro activity of itraconazole and imidazole antifungal agents against Candida albicans with decreased susceptibility to fluconazole from Spain

Two groups of recent clinical isolates of Candida albicans consisting of 101 isolates for which fluconazole MICs were < or = 0.5 microgram/ml (n = 50) and > or = 4.0 micrograms/ml (n = 51), respectively, were compared for their susceptibilities to fluconazole, clotrimazole, miconazole, ketoconazole, and itraconazole. Susceptibility tests were performed by a photometer-read broth microdilution method with an improved RPMI 1640 medium supplemented with 18 g of glucose per liter (RPMI-2% glucose; J. L. Rodríguez-Tudela and J. V. Martínez-Suárez, Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 38:45-48, 1994). Preparation of drugs, basal medium, and inocula was done by the recommendations of the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards. The MIC endpoint was calculated objectively from the turbidimetric data read at 24 h as the lowest drug concentration at which growth was just equal to or less than 20% of that in the positive control well (MIC 80%). In vitro susceptibility testing separated azole-susceptible strains from the strains with decreased susceptibilities to azoles if wide ranges of concentrations (20 doubling dilutions) were used for ketoconazole, miconazole, and clotrimazole. By comparison with isolates for which fluconazole MICs were < or = 0.5 microgram/ml, those isolates for which fluconazole MICs were > or = 4.0 micrograms/ml were in general less susceptible to other azole drugs, but different patterns of decreased susceptibility were found, including uniform increases in the MICs of all azole derivatives, higher MICs of several azoles but not others, and elevated MICs of fluconazole only. On the other hand, decreased susceptibility to any other azole drug was never found among strains for which MICs of fluconazole were lower.