Experience with invasive Candida infections

Abstract

SummaryBetween January and July 1995, 227 patients at the Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center had positive fungal cultures. Candida spp were the most common fungi isolated. Forty-three patients with invasive disease, as indicated by fungus-positive blood cultures, became the focus of our study. C albicans caused fungaemia in 21 patients (49%). Twenty-eight patients (65%) were less than 50 years of age; three were neonates. The most common presenting symptoms were fever, chills, and weakness (20 patients, 47%). Thirty patients died, giving a mortality rate of 70%. The patients who died stayed in the hospital an average of 49 days.The highest mortality occurred among patients who became bacteraemic before or at the same time they became candidaemic (24 of 26 patients) or who were receiving broad-spectrum antibiotics (20 of 26 patients). We also found high mortality rates from invasive fungal infection among patients with HIV infection, a central venous catheter, and liver, renal, or respiratory failure. We did not find any increase in the incidence of invasive fungal infection or mortality among leukopenic or diabetic patients.

Induction of Mating in Candida albicans by Construction of MTL a and MTL α Strains

“…albicans has become the third or fourth most common nosocomial isolate in many hospitals, and systemic infection has a mortality rate of 30 to 70% (1). This yeast is almost always diploid as isolated (2) and until now was thought to lack a sexual phase (3).…”

Characterization and Functional Analysis of the Siderophore-Iron Transporter CaArn1p in Candida albicans

“…albicans is currently the most prevalent human fungal pathogen, causing infections in immunocompromised hosts (17). In some patients, C. albicans cells enter the blood stream, establishing fatal systemic infection.…”

In Vivo and In Vitro Anaerobic Mating in Candida albicans

“…Untreated, over 95% of AIDS patients will be infected by C. albicans, and this fungal pathogen has become the fourth leading nosocomial isolate, causing mortality rates between 30 and 70% in systemically infected patients (8). C. albicans is a diploid organism that exploits genetic and phenotypic variability created through yeast-hypha transitions (4), phase transitions (30), and mating (2) to maintain commensalism and facilitate pathogenesis.…”