Tuesday 4 May 2004
Residing normally in the skin, mouth, gastrointestinal tract, and vagina, Candida species are versatile microorganisms.
In healthy people, Candida species usually live as benign commensals and produce no disease. However, Candida species, most often C. albicans, are the most frequent cause of human fungal infections. These infections range from superficial lesions in healthy persons to disseminated infections in immunocompromised patients.
C. albicans grows best on warm, moist surfaces and so frequently causes oral thrush, vaginitis, and diaper rash. Diabetics and burn patients are particularly susceptible to superficial candidiasis.
Candida can be directly introduced into the blood by intravenous lines, catheters, peritoneal dialysis, cardiac surgery, or intravenous drug abuse.
Severe disseminated candidiasis is associated with neutropenia secondary to leukemia or anticancer therapy, immunosuppression after transplantation, and neutrophil disorders such as chronic granulomatous disease.
Although the course of candidal sepsis is less rampant than that of bacterial sepsis, disseminated Candida eventually may cause shock and DIC.
Silver stain: dense mat of Candida
blastoconidia (budding yeast)
- chronic disseminated candidiasis
- hepatosplenic candidiasis
- candidal adenitis
- candidal meningitis
- candidal pneumonitis
Omaetxebarria MJ, Moragues MD, Elguezabal N, Rodriguez-Alejandre A, Brena S, Schneider J, Polonelli L, Ponton J. Antifungal and antitumor activities of a monoclonal antibody directed against a stress mannoprotein of Candida albicans. Curr Mol Med. 2005 Jun;5(4):393-401. PMID: 15977995
Cutler JE. Defining criteria for anti-mannan antibodies to protect against candidiasis. Curr Mol Med. 2005 Jun;5(4):383-92. PMID: 15977994
Cassone A, De Bernardis F, Torososantucci A. An outline of the role of anti-Candida antibodies within the context of passive immunization and protection from candidiasis. Curr Mol Med. 2005 Jun;5(4):377-82. PMID: 15977993