Study of Germ Tube Formation in Candida albicans Among Vaginitis and Urinary Infection

Objectives: Candida albicans is the most virulent species of candida species that can cause several forms of candidiasis in susceptible patients. Several factors including germ tube formation were as virulence factors for pathogenesis of candida albicans. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the formation of germ tube in different isolates of candida albicans from vaginitis, urinary infection, and normal flora from oral cavity of healthy donors. methods: a total of 151 isolates of candida albicans including sixty isolates from vulvovaginal candidiasis, sixty isolates from urinary infection and thirty normal isolated from oral cavity and a signal reference strain of Candida albicans (ATCC 10231) were studied. To assess germ tube formation, the human serum was used. Rate and extend of germ tube formation were evaluated in 3 hours. Results: the results showed that germ tube formation in 0.5-2 hours isolates of avaginitis and urinary infection was significantly more than the normal oral isolated. During 0.5h, in 11.66% ofurinary infection isolates and 1.66% isolates of vaginitis, germ tube was seen while the germ tube was not observed in normal flora. Percentage of germ tube formation after 2.5 hours remained almost identical and after 3 hours were similar. About the germ tube formation, a dramatic difference between the minimum and maximum range in the sample was not observed; however, a higher percentage of germ tube production in the isolates of urinary and vaginitis infection was observed. Conclusion: The result of this study showed thatgerm tube formation production in isolates of urinary infection and vaginitis was clearly more than the normal isolates. Therefore, it can be concluded that there is a correlation between pathogenic candida albicans and this factor.

Candida albicans