Susceptibility profile of clinical and environmental isolates of Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii in Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil. (August 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Andrade-Silva, Leonardo; Ferreira-Paim, Kennio; Mora, Delio Jose; Silva, Paulo Roberto Da; Andrade, Anderson Assunção; Araujo, Natalia Evelyn; Pedrosa, André Luiz; Silva-Vergara, Mario León
• Is Part Of: Medical mycology. Volume 51:Number 6(2013)
• Page Start: 635
• Page End: 640
• Publication Date: 2013-08
• Subjects: Medical mycology -- Periodicals; Veterinary mycology -- Periodicals; Mycology -- Periodicals; Mycoses -- Periodicals; Pathogenic fungi -- Periodicals; 616.969005
• DOI: 10.3109/13693786.2012.761737
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1369-3786

Abstract

<abstract> <title>Abstract</title> <p> <italic>Cryptococcus neoformans</italic> and <italic>C. gattii</italic> are the etiologic agents of cryptococcosis, a life-threatening disease in both immunocompromised and immunocompetent hosts. Antifungal resistance has been evaluated using different methods, breakpoints, and sizes of test populations and it is an emerging as a significant issue worldwide. A total of 176 (95 clinical and 81 environmental) <italic>C. neoformans</italic> and eight clinical <italic>C. gattii</italic> isolates were evaluated to determine the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute method. A total of 10.5% of the <italic>C. neoformans</italic> clinical isolates were resistant to amphotericin B (AMB), and 6.2% of the environmental isolates were resistant to fluconazole (FLZ). Environmental and clinical isolates presented epidemiologic cut-off values (ECVs) of 64 and 16 to FLZ and 1 and 2 to AMB, respectively. All of the <italic>C. gattii</italic> isolates showed high susceptibility to most drugs evaluated. Clinical isolates had lower susceptibility than environmental isolates to AMB and itraconazole whereas environmental isolates had lower susceptibility than the clinical isolates to FLZ, voriconazole, and ketoconazole. However, no difference was found in the susceptibility of the two species. The MICs and ECVs to antifungals can help to select the best therapeutic option for tracking epidemiological resistance among clinical and environmental isolates of <italic>Cryptococcus</italic> spp. around the world.</p> </abstract>