Molecular Typing of Candida Albicans Isolates Recovered from Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-Infected Patients with Oropharyngeal Candidiasis

In human immunodeficiency virus HIV-infected patients, oropharyngeal candidiasis is a common infection. The aim of present study was molecular typing of Candida albicans isolates recovered from HIV-infected patients with oropharyngeal candidiasis and comparing the molecular patterns of fluconazole-resistant and susceptible isolates. The molecular typing of genomic DNA of 48 Candida albicans isolated from HIV-infected patients were assessed by the random amplified polymorphic DNA-polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR) fingerprinting. Sensitivity of strains to fluconazole was determined by the broth microdilution method. We detected two main clusters and seven sub-clusters, comprising 24 genotypes of Candida albicans strains. No associations between the patterns of strains isolated from hospitalized patients and outpatients and clinical forms of oropharyngeal candidiasis were detected. There was also a relative correlation between fluconazole susceptibility and strain clustering. The presence of several genotypes of Candida albicans in HIV-infected patients would lead to problems in the treatment and prevention of oral candidiasis. The lack of correlation between genotypes and clinical forms of oropharyngeal candidiasis shows the importance pf host condition in the pathogenesis of candida infections. The lack of phylogenetic relationships among strains from hospitalized patients approves endogenous origin of candida infection. The results indicate that HIV-infected patients have favorable conditions for the growth and proliferation of different genotypes of Candida albicans. In conclusion, molecular typing using RAPD-PCR revealed a genomic heterogeneity in the Candida albicans clinical isolates studied in HIV-infected patients.