1Research Scholar, Department of Microbiology, Sri Lakshmi Narayana Institute of Medical Sciences, Affiliated to Bharath Institute of Higher Education>, Pondicherry, India
2Research Associate, Centre for Research, Sri Lakshmi Narayana Institute of Medical Sciences, Affiliated to Bharath Institute of Higher Education>, Pondicherry, India
3Professor of Biochemistry, Sri Lakshmi Narayana Institute of Medical Sciences, Affiliated to Bharath Institute of Higher Education>, Pondicherry, India
4Associate Professor, Department of Physiology, Sri Lakshmi Narayana Institute of Medical Sciences, Affiliated to Bharath Institute of Higher Education>, Pondicherry, India
5Research Scholar, Department of Microbiology, Sri Lakshmi Narayana Institute of Medical Sciences, Affiliated to Bharath Institute of Higher Education>, Pondicherry, India
*Corresponding Author: Sandhya Rani. T, Research Scholar, Department of Microbiology, Sri Lakshmi Narayana Institute of Medical Sciences, Pondicherry, India-605502, Phone: 9581243317, Email: sandhya.micro86@gmail.com
Online published on 4 June, 2019.
Candida species are emerging as a potentially pathogenic fungus in pulmonary diseases. The synergistic growth promoting association of candida and mycobacterium tuberculosis has increased concern for studying the various candida spp. and its significance in pulmonary tuberculosis patients. This study was undertaken with the objective of discovering the study of virulence factors of Candida species isolated from pulmonary tuberculosis with diabetes mellitus.
A total of 110 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis diagnosed by sputum Ziehl-Neelsen staining were included in the study. Candida co-infection was confirmed using the Kahanpaa et al. criteria. Candida species were identified using gram stain morphology, germ tube formation, morphology on cornmeal agar with Tween-80, sugar fermentation tests and Hi Chrom Candida Agar.
Candida co-infection was observed in 53 (48%) of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis. Candida albicans was the most common isolate observed in 62% of the patients with co-infection, followed by C.parapsilosis (11.3%) and 5 were C. krusei (9.4%).Candida co-infection was found in 52.8% of female patients, while it was observed in only 47.1%of the male patients.
Candida spp. isolated from pulmonary tuberculosis patients has significantly higher production of virulence factors. Candida co-infection should be routinely practiced along with extracellular hydrolytic enzymatic activity and biofilm production of NAC Spp. The identification of the gene responsible for the colonization may provide novel targets for antifungal prophylaxis.
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, Candida infection,
