Abstract
A correlation between mucosal colonization by Candida albicans and the subsequent development of invasive respiratory infection has been previously described. The aim of this study was to evaluate different enzymatic activities in vitro and to determine the capacity to form biofilms by 17 C. albicans isolates from bronchial aspirates of mechanically ventilated patients hospitalized in intensive care units. All the C. albicans clinical isolates tested were biofilm producers and displayed detectable levels of proteinase and hemolytic activities, although phospholipase activity was not detected in one strain. The correlation noted among the virulence factors studied suggests that the presence of more than one concurrent factor could facilitate the spread of infection.
Acknowledgements
This study was supported by a grant from the Junta de Extremadura, Spain (PRI09A021) and CIBER BBN, Badajoz, Spain. We are grateful to J. McCue for the preparation of the manuscript and to G. Gómez-Landero for the technical laboratory assistance.
Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.
This paper was first published online on Early Online on 14 May 2010.