Candida tropicalis in human disease

Abstract

Candida tropicalis is one of the more common Candida causing human disease in tropical countries; the frequency of invasive disease varies by geography causing 3–66% of candidaemia. C. tropicalis is taxonomically close to C. albicans and shares many pathogenic traits. C. tropicalis is particularly virulent in neutropenic hosts commonly with hematogenous seeding to peripheral organs. For candidaemia and invasive candidiasis amphotericin B or an echinocandin are recommended as first-line treatment, with extended-spectrum triazoles acceptable alternatives. Primary fluconazole resistance is uncommon but may be induced on exposure. Physicians in regions where C. tropicalis is common need to be mindful of this lesser-described pathogen.

Keywords::

• Candida tropicalis
• candidiasis
• candidosis

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to David Fitzpatrick for permission to use Figure 1.

L.C. was supported by the Health Manpower Development Plan (HMDP) Fellowship, Ministry of Health, Singapore and the International Fellowship, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)/National Medical Research Council (NMRC), Singapore.

PAW is funded by the Fungal Research Trust, Macclesfield UK.

Declaration of interest

PAW has received grant support from Basilea and The Medical Research Council, The Fungal Research Trust and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. He has been an advisor/consultant to F2G, Basilea and Nektar and is a Director and holds shares in Euprotec Ltd. In the past 5 years, DWD has received grant support from Astellas, Merck, Pfizer, F2G, AstraZeneca, Indevus, Basilea, The Fungal Research Trust, The Wellcome Trust, The Moulton Trust, The Medical Research Council, The Chronic Granulomatous Disease Research Trust, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health Research, and the European Union; he has been an advisor/consultant to Basilea, Vicuron (now Pfizer), Pfizer, Schering Plough, Indevus, F2G, Nektar, Daiichi, Sigma Tau, Astellas, Gilead, and York Pharma; he has been paid for talks on behalf of Schering, Astellas, Merck, and Pfizer and holds founder shares in F2G Ltd. and Myconostica Ltd., both University of Manchester spin-out companies. CL declares no conflicts of interest.