In-Vitro Susceptibility of Fluconazole and Amphotericin B against Candida Isolates from Women with Vaginal Candidiasis in Taiwan
YA-HSIU TSENG1*, WEN-TSUNG LEE2 AND TSUNG-CHENG KUO2
1. Department of Biotechnology, Transworld Institute of Technology, 1221 Zheng Na Rd., Touliu Township, Yunlin County 640, Taiwan, R.O.C.
2. Kuo General Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan, R.O.C.
(Received: May 13, 2004; Accepted: September 9, 2004)
ABSTRACT
Reported epidemiology references showed that vaginitis was caused either by bacteria (40-50%), Trichomonas (20-25%) or Candida (15-20%). The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence and strains distribution of vaginal candidiasis in Taiwan. We evaluate the susceptibilities activity of fluconazole and amphotericin B against 101 Candida isolates from 97 patients suffering from vaginal candidasis. Candida albicans was the most common species (67.3%), followed by C. glabrata (24.7%), C. tropicalis (5.9%), C. parapsilosis (1%), and others (1%) among the identified strains. After evaluation by Etest, a total of 64 (63.4%) and 11 (10.9%) isolates were found to be susceptible, with dose dependent susceptibility, to fluconazole. All Candida isolates
were susceptible to amphotericin B with one isolate Saccharomyces cerevisiae being resistant to this drug. Ten out of 68 isolates (14.7%) of C. albicans and 16 out of 25 isolates (64%) of C. glabrata showed fluconazole-resistant. C. glabrata commonly produced higher minimum inhibitory concentrations than all the other species of Candida to triazole agents.
Key words: susceptibility, fluconazole, amphotericin B, vaginal candidiasis