Evaluation of biochemical and serological methods to identify and clustering yeast cells of oral Candida species by CHROMagar test, SDS-PAGE and ELISA

• Published in: Brazilian journal of biology Vol. 64; no. 2; pp. 317 - 326
• Main Authors: Rodrigues, J A O, Höfling, J F, Tavares, F C A, Duarte, K M R, Gonçalves, R B, Azevedo, R A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Brazil Instituto Internacional de Ecologia 01-05-2004
• Subjects: Animals; BIOLOGY; Candida albicans; Candida albicans - classification; Candida albicans - immunology; Candida albicans - isolation & purification; Candida krusei; Candida species; Candida tropicalis; Candidiasis, Oral - microbiology; chromogenic medium (CHROMagar Candida); Cluster Analysis; Culture Media; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Humans; immunoenzimatic assay (ELISA); Kluyveromyces marxianus; Mycological Typing Techniques - methods; numerical analysis; protein electrophoresis; Rabbits; Reproducibility of Results; Sensitivity and Specificity; protein electrophoresis; análise numérica; eletroforese de proteínas; numerical analysis; chromogenic medium (CHROMagar Candida); meio cromogênico (CHROMagar Candida); ensaio imunoenzimático (ELISA); Candida species; immunoenzimatic assay (ELISA); espécies de Candida
• ISSN: 1519-6984; 1678-4375; 1519-6984
• DOI: 10.1590/s1519-69842004000200018

The purpose of this work was to evaluate biochemical and serological methods to characterize and identify Candida species from the oral cavity. The strains used were five Candida species previously identified: C. albicans, C. guilliermondii, C. parapsilosis, C. krusei, C. tropicalis, and Kluyveromyces marxianus, as a negative control. The analyses were conducted through the SDS-PAGE associated with statistical analysis using software, chromogenic medium, and CHROMagar Candida (CA), as a differential medium for the isolation and presumptive identification of clinically important yeasts and an enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA), using antisera produced against antigens from two C. albicans strains. This method enabled the screening of the three Candida species: C. albicans, C. tropicalis, and C. krusei, with 100% of specificity. The ELISA using purified immunoglobulin G showed a high level of cross-reaction against protein extracts of Candida species. The SDS-PAGE method allowed the clustering of species-specific isolates using the Simple Matching coefficient, S(SM) = 1.0. The protein profile analysis by SDS-PAGE increases what is known about the taxonomic relationships among oral yeasts. This methodology showed good reproducibility and allows collection of useful information for numerical analysis on information relevant to clinical application, and epidemiological and systematical studies.