Potency of gastrointestinal colonization and virulence of Candida auris in a murine endogenous candidiasis

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 15; no. 12; p. e0243223
• Main Authors: Abe, Masahiro, Katano, Harutaka, Nagi, Minoru, Higashi, Yoshitsugu, Sato, Yuko, Kikuchi, Ken, Hasegawa, Hideki, Miyazaki, Yoshitsugu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 02-12-2020; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Acetic acid; Animals; Antibiotics; Biofilms; Biofilms - growth & development; Biology and Life Sciences; Body weight; Candida; Candida - pathogenicity; Candida - physiology; Candida albicans - pathogenicity; Candida albicans - physiology; Candida auris; Candida glabrata - pathogenicity; Candida glabrata - physiology; Candidiasis; Candidiasis - microbiology; Candidiasis - pathology; Candidiasis, Invasive - microbiology; Candidiasis, Invasive - pathology; Causes of; Chemotherapy; Colonization; Comparative analysis; Cortisone; Ear diseases; Experiments; Fungal infections; Fungi; Gastrointestinal Tract - microbiology; Gastrointestinal Tract - pathology; Identification and classification; Immunosuppression; Infections; Infectious diseases; Inoculation; Intestine; Kidneys; Liver; Male; Medicine and Health Sciences; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Microbiological research; Mortality; Nosocomial infections; Pathology; Research and Analysis Methods; Survival; Survival analysis; Virulence; Virulence (Microbiology); Japan; South America
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0243223

Candida auris infections have recently emerged worldwide, and this species is highly capable of colonization and is associated with high levels of mortality. However, strain-dependent differences in colonization capabilities and virulence have not yet been reported.
In the present study, we aimed to clarify the differences between clinically isolated invasive and non-invasive strains of C. auris.
We evaluated colonization, dissemination, and survival rates in wild C57BL/6J mice inoculated with invasive or non-invasive strains of C. auris under cortisone acetate immunosuppression, comparing with those of Candida albicans and Candida glabrata infections. We also evaluated the potency of biofilm formation.
Stool fungal burdens were significantly higher in mice inoculated with the invasive strains than in those infected with the non-invasive strain. Along with intestinal colonization, liver and kidney fungal burdens were also significantly higher in mice inoculated with the invasive strains. In addition, histopathological findings revealed greater dissemination and colonization of the invasive strains. Regarding biofilm-forming capability, the invasive strain of C. auris exhibited a significantly higher capacity of producing biofilms. Moreover, inoculation with the invasive strains resulted in significantly greater loss of body weight than that noted following infection with the non-invasive strain.
Invasive strains showed higher colonization capability and rates of dissemination from gastrointestinal tracts under cortisone acetate immunosuppression than non-invasive strains, although the mortality rates caused by C. auris were lower than those caused by C. albicans.