IDENTIFICATION OF CANDIDA SPECIES ISOLATED FROM CLINICAL SAMPLES AND INVESTIGATING ANTIFUNGAL SUSCEPTIBILITY IN TURKEY

Objectives: The purpose of this study is identify typology of candida species from patients' samples, and determine their in-vitro antifungal susceptibility. Materials and methods: In this study, Candida species isolated from patients who applied to our laboratory between 20092010 were included in order to identify the types of Candida and to carry out their antifungal sensitivity. The Candida species were typed using germ tube test, corn meal Tween-80 and BBL CHROMagar medium, and API ID32C yeast identification system. Antifungal drugs' susceptibility of Candida species for amphotericin B, fluconazole, itraconazole, and voriconazole were conducted through microdilution system. Results: Of the 97 Candida species, 58.76% were identified as Candida albicans, other identified types were as follows: C. parapsilosis (13.4%), C. glabrata (11.3%), C. tropicalis (5.15%) respectively. Antifungal drugs sensitivity tests results revealed 1.03% resistance to fluconazole and 4.12% to itracanazole, whereas no resistance was found to amphotericin B and voriconazole. Conclusion: Target population for Candida has gradually been expanding. Therefore, it may be suggested that determining the type of pathogen and running its susceptibility tests are significant factors that will enhance the success of the treatment before empirical treatment against Candida infections is initiated.