Detection of secreted aspartyl proteinase (sap) in different candida species isolated from urinary tract infection

Candiduria is an increasingly difficult problem to recognize and manage. It is associated with high mortality, especially in patients with comorbidities. Secretory aspartyl proteinases (SAPs) have been recognized as virulence factors and are considered to be key enzymes that contribute to Candida infection by promoting damage to the host mucosa. In the present study we investigated the extent of Candida urinary tract infection (UTI) among hospitalized patients and the presence of Sap genes as virulence factors. A total of 50 Candida species were isolated from urine samples of UTI patients, processed at the routine Laboratory in Medical Microbiology Department, from different departments. Out of the 50 Candida species isolated, 52% were Candida tropicalis followed by Candida glabrata (30%), Candida albicans (14%) and Candida krusei (4%) identified by both conventional methods and MALDI-TOF. This study revealed the predominance of Non- albicans Candida species as causative agents of Candida UTI with different antifungal susceptibility patterns, where Candida tropicalis reported the highest sensitivity to amphotericin B (23/26=88%), fluconazole (19/26=73%) and finally voriconazole (17/26=65%). Again amphotericin B and voriconazole had equal effect (14/15=93%) on Candida glabrata, while fluconazole was less effective (12/15=80%). All Candida albicans strains were sensitive to fluconazole, followed by voriconazole and amphotericin B (6/7=86%). Finally both Candida krusei isolates were sensitive to amphotericin B and voriconazole. Sap genes were detected in 6 Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis isolates, 3 were SAP 1, 3 in Candida albicans and 2 were SAPT4 in Candida tropicalis and 1 was SAPT 1 in Candida tropicalis.