Abstract

Oropharyngeal candidiasis (OPC) is the most common HIV related oral lesion. Most patients are infected with a strain originally present as a commensal of the oral cavity. The resistance of Candida isolates to antifungal drugs is important due to morbidity and mortality. The aim of our study was to investigate the antifungal susceptibility profiles of oral Candida spp which were isolated from HIV-infected patients. In vitro susceptibility tests were performed using the broth microdilution method recommended by the Clinical and Laboratory Standard Institute (CLSI). A total of 67 oral Candida isolates from colonized HIV-infected patients, which were previously isolated and identified were included in this study. MIC ranges were 0.12 - 4.0, 0.12 - 16, 0.03 - 1.0, 0.03 - 1.0, and 0.03 - 0.25 µg/ml for amphotericin B, fluconazole, itraconazole, ketoconazole and voriconazole, respectively. All isolates were fully susceptible to voriconazole. Sixty five (97%) of all isolates were determined fully susceptible to amphotericin B, 66 (98.5%) to fluconazole, 64 (95.5%) to ketoconazole and 50 (88%) to itraconazole. No resistance was detected to fluconazole and voriconazole in oral Candida strains isolated from colonized Turkish HIV positive patients. Antifungal resistance was detected in 8.96% (6 strains) of all isolates tested.

Key words: HIV, Candida, oropharyngeal carriage, antifungal agents, antifungal susceptibility.