Disseminated candidiasis caused by the pathogen Candida albicans is a clinically important problem in hospitalized individuals and is associated with a 30 to 40% attributable mortality(6). Systemic candidiasis is normally controlled by innate immunity, and individuals with genetic defects in innate immune cell components such as phagocyte NADPH oxidase are more susceptible to candidemia(7-9). V...

The significance of quantitative urine cultures in patients at risk for hematogenous disseminated candidiasis is controversial. While various concentrations of Candida spp. in urine have been suggested as critical cutoff points in the diagnosis of renal candidiasis, other investigators consider quantitative cultures less critical in diagnosing upper tract infections. To determine the significan...

Candida albicans secreted aspartyl proteinases (Saps) are considered virulence-associated factors. Several members of the Sap family were claimed to play a significant role in the progression of candidiasis established by the hematogenous route. This assumption was based on the observed attenuated virulence of sap-null mutant strains. However, the exclusive contribution of SAP genes to their at...

Candidiasis is a multifaceted fungal disease including mucosal-cutaneous, visceral, and disseminated infections caused by yeast species of the genus Candida. Candida infections are among the most common human mycoses. Candida species are the third to fourth most common isolates from bloodstream infections in neutropenic or immunocompromised hospitalized patients. The mucosal-cutaneous forms-par...

With changes in the medical and surgical management of patients over the past three decades, fungi have emerged as a major cause of human disease. Of the disseminated mycoses, candidiasis remains the most prevalent, with Candida albicans causing more invasive infections than any other fungus (Elizabeth, 2009). Candidiasis or thrush is a fungal infection (mycosis) of any of the Candida species, ...

Candida albicans is a dimorphic commensal fungus that colonizes healthy human skin, mucosa, and the reproductive tract. C. albicans is also a predominantly opportunistic fungal pathogen, leading to disease manifestations such as disseminated candidiasis and chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis (CMC). The differing host susceptibilities for the sites of C. albicans infection have revealed tissue co...

Invasive fungal infections have increased throughout the world. Many of these infections occur in patients with multiple comorbidities who are receiving medications with the potential for interactions with antifungal therapy that could lead to renal and hepatic dysfunction. The second marketed echinocandin, micafungin, was approved in 2005 for the treatment of esophageal candidiasis and prophyl...

The in vivo interactions of cilofungin, an echinocandin antifungal agent, and amphotericin B, a polyene derivative, in a murine model of disseminated candidiasis have been investigated. While single therapy with either drug alone prolonged survival of infected mice, kidney colony counts were not appreciably reduced. In contrast, combination therapy, especially at higher doses of both drugs, res...

Historically, the therapy of serious fungal infection has been dominated by monotherapy with the polyene antibiotic amphotericin B. Clinical failures, side effects, the lack of alternatives and the toxicity of this drug have heightened the need to produce alternative therapies, which have included fluconazole, voriconazole and caspofungin. The observation that recovery from disseminated candidi...

A passive hemagglutination inhibition assay was studied by using a hyperimmune serum from rabbits immunized with whole yeast cells (Candida albicans group A). This technique was effective at detecting small amounts of laboratory-prepared mannan or a whole-cell extract of C. albicans. Of 32 patients with documented disseminated candidiasis that were tested, 19 showed evidence of circulating anti...