[Killer toxin and enzyme production by Candida albicans isolated from buccal mucosa in patients with cancer]

Rev Soc Bras Med Trop. 1998 Nov-Dec;31(6):523-7.
[Article in Portuguese]

Abstract

Opportunistic infections of the oral cavity are primarily caused by Candida and frequently occur in patients with cancer who are undergoing chemotherapy and antibiotic treatment. Of the specimens received from the oral mucosa of 44 patients with cancer, 25 (56.8%) yielded Candida on culture in Sabouraud agar. Twenty four of these isolates were identified as C. albicans (96%) and 1 as C. krusei (4%). The phenotypic characteristics of these isolates showed that all of them were strongly proteolytic, had a high ability to produce phospholipase, and presented the byotypes characterized as 811 (95.8%) and 511 (4.2%) in terms of susceptibility to killer toxins.

MeSH terms

  • Candida / enzymology
  • Candida / isolation & purification*
  • Candida / metabolism*
  • Candida albicans / enzymology
  • Candida albicans / isolation & purification
  • Candida albicans / metabolism
  • Candidiasis, Oral / complications*
  • Candidiasis, Oral / pathology
  • Cell Death
  • Endopeptidases / biosynthesis
  • Humans
  • Killer Factors, Yeast
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Mouth Mucosa / microbiology*
  • Mycotoxins / biosynthesis*
  • Neoplasms / complications*
  • Neoplasms / pathology
  • Phospholipases / biosynthesis

Substances

  • Killer Factors, Yeast
  • Mycotoxins
  • Phospholipases
  • Endopeptidases