Identification of Candida species isolated from vulvovaginal candidiasis using PCR-RFLP

Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is a common disease among women worldwide, therefore, accurate and rapid diagnosis of causative agents based on molecular techniques utilizing amplification of target DNA is highly recomendad for epidemiological purposes and for effective treatment. The aim of this study was to identify clinically Candida species from VVC patients by restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). A total of 155 patients with suspicious symptoms of VVC were screened. Candida strains isolated from specimens initially were identified by phenotypic methods and confirmed by molecular approaches based on PCR-RFLP. Fifty one (34%) strains of Candida were obtained from specimens collected from VVC patients. C. albicans was the most frequently isolated species (86.2%) followed by non-albicans, including C. glabrata (7.9%), C. kefir (3.9%), and C. tropicalis (1.9%). The restriction patterns of each Candida species were perfectly specific. The identification of Candida species in VVC due to developing antifungal resistance is very significant for appropriate treatment and to prevent the spread of VVC.