Oral Candida colonization in neutropenic patients

Introduction and Objectives: Oral candidiasis is the most frequent opportunistic fungal infection among immune compromised patients (Prolonged neutropenia and cellular immune deficiency). Antifungal prophylaxis and broad‐spectrum antibiotics therapy, by diminishing the burden of normal flora, cause fungal colonization in oral cavity. Oral cavity candidiasis caused by several medically important Candida including, Candida albicans, C. glabrata, C. krusei and C. tropicalis. The aim of the present study was to identify oral colonization in neutropenic patients by the different species of Candida. Materials and Methods: In this study 243 neutropenic patients (132 females and 111 males) were sampled using sterile swabs. All swabs were cultured on CHROMagar Candida and incubated at 37°C for several days. All isolated yeasts were identified based on traditional methods including; germ tube test, chlamydoconidia formation on cornmeal agar, grow at 42‐45°C and coloration on CHROMagar Candida. Results: Our study shows that 95(39.1%) of cases were yielded the different species of Candida. In addition, 51(53.7%) and 44(46.3%) of positive cases were females and males, respectively. The most frequent agent was C. albicans (61.1%), followed by C. krusei (17.9%), C. glabrata (10.5%), C. tropicalis (8.4%), and Candida species (2.1%). Conclusions: Our results indicate that the oral mucosal of neutropenic patients susceptible to colonization by Candida species. In addition, more than 36.8% of colonizer are no‐albicans Candida species that usually resistant to antifungals.

Candida albicans, Neutropenic patient, Oral colonization