Résumé
The morphology of dilleivnt Candida a hi cans strains isolated from 25 symptomatic cases suffering from oral candidosis and from 25 asymptomatic cases were studied. During infection of sypmtomalic patients, the Candida.albicans cells did not maintain their yeast morphology hut gave rise lo hyphal filaments and germ tube formation as well as protease production. Candida albicans isolates taken from the asypmtomatic patients were found to have inability of protease production and germ tube formation. Candida alhicans cells forming germ tube demonstrated the highest percentage of adherence to epithelial cells. DNA figerprinling and eleclrophoretjc karyotype analysis of Candida albicans strains of different morphology and pathology proved to have same DNA hands pattern of fingerprint. The results suggest that prolcase production, germ tube formation and adherence to epithelial cells play an important role in virulence of Candida alhicans