A study of the association between virulence factors and antifungal susceptibility profile of <i>Candida</i> species recovered from cases of vulvovaginal candidiasis.

Abstract

The incidence of mycotic infections, especially of <i>Candida</i>, has gradually increased over the past few years. In clinical practice, azoles are the most frequently used antifungal agents and the growing incidence of systemic candidiasis and resistance to antifungals have become a matter of concern worldwide. Virulence factors in <i>Candida</i> spp. may be critical for predicting the response of antifungal drugs. This study aimed to identify the relationship between virulence factors and the antifungal susceptibility of <i>Candida</i>. This cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 55 <i>Candida</i> strains isolated from vulvovaginal samples of patients in the reproductive age group, presenting with signs and symptoms of vulvovaginitis in a large tertiary care hospital in central India. A majority of the <i>Candida</i> were sensitive to three tested drugs (89% to amphotericin B, 76.4% to fluconazole, and 89.1% to voriconazole). Resistance to fluconazole was highest at 16.4%. No significant relationships were identified between antifungal sensitivity of the three azoles with biofilm formation, phospholipase, or proteinase synthesis. High level of antifungal resistance to the three antifungals, especially to voriconazole, is worrisome; however, none of the virulence markers have a significant association with antifungal sensitivity of <i>Candida</i> species. This finding rules out the effect of the virulence of the pathogen on drug response.