Candida species identification

Laboratory identification of Candida in clinical samples must be performed to the species level whenever possible, as Candida species differ considerably in their susceptibility to antifungal agents. 

Besides the development of novel approaches for a fast bacterial detection and identification, many efforts have also been made for the analysis of yeast cells. For clinical purposes rapid methodologies for the diagnosis of invasive yeast infections, e.g., by Candida species, have yet emerged to advise antifungal drugs or to adjust empirical therapy when resistant species are isolated. 

Conventional microbiological identification of isolates from patients can normally be obtained with a total turnaround time of 48-96 h. Ibelings et al. [106] and Maquelin et al. [46] developed alternatively a Raman spectroscopic approach for the identification of clinically relevant Candida species from smears and microcolonies in peritonitis patients taking at least overnight (smears) or about 6h (microcolonies). Hereby, a prediction accuracy of 90% was obtained for Raman spectroscopy in combination with multivariate statistical data analysis. 

Sipiczki, M. (2004). Species identification and comparative molecular and physiological analysis of Candida zemplinina and Candida stellata. J. Basic Microbiol. 44, 471-479. 

Jarvensivu A, Rautemaa R, Sorsa T, et al. Specificity of the monoclonal antibody 3H8 in the immunohistochemical identification of Candida species. Oral Diseases. 2006 12 428-433. 

Ellepola, AJSl., Hurst, S.F., Ehe, CM., Morrison, C.J. (2003) Rapid and unequivocal differentiation of Candida dubli-niensis from other Candida species using species-specific DNA probes comparison with phenotypic identification methods. Oral Microbiol. Immunol, 18(6), 379-388. 

Lacroix C, Gicquel A, Sendid B, Meyer J, Accoceberry I, Francois N, Morio F, Desoubeaux G, Chandenier J, Kauffmann-Lacroix C, Hennequin C, Guitard J, Nassif X, Bougnoux ME. Evaluation of two matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) systems for the identification of Candida species. Clin Microbiol Infec. 2014 20(2) 153-8. 

Candia pneumonia is a rare condition. Microbiological identification of Candida species in lavages or swabs usually have to be considered as colonization, not as infection. 

Until recently, a rapid presumptive identification of C. albicans could be made by incubation of the organism in serum formation of a germ tube (the beginning of hyphae, which arise as perpendicular extensions from the yeast cell, with no constriction at their point of origin) within 1 to 2 hours offered a positive identification of C. albicans. Unformnately, C. dubliniensis, a new species of Candida that was identified recently as an important cause of mucosal colonization and infection in HIV-infected individuals, also can produce a germ mbe. A negative germ tube test does not rule out the possibility of C. albicans, but further biochemical tests must be performed to differentiate between other non-albicans species. ... 

Lehmann, P.F, Lin, D. and Lasker, B.A. (1992) Genotypic identification and characterization of species and strains within the genus Candida using random amplified polymorphic DNA. J. Clin. Microbiol., 30, 3249-3254. 

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