Morphotyping: a simple method for differentiation of candida albicans

ABSTRACT

Fifty strains of C. Albicans were isolated from specimens obtained from 3 various anatomical sites; vagina [20 strains], fingernails [10 strains] and oral cavity [20 strains]. All of them caused clinical illness except for 10 vaginal strains, which were isolated from clinically free females. The identification of C. albicans was done by the germ tube test. Each strain was cultured on malt extract agar plates in the form of streaks for strain differentiation by morphotyping using the modified simplified scheme of Hunter et al. This coding system depends mainly on the fringe characters which are more conspicuous, more consistent and more readily coded than those associated with the streak surface. Fifteen different morphotypes were described. The morphotypes most frequently isolated were those showing discontinuous narrow fine fringes [26%], those lacking any fringes [24%] and those giving discontinuous narrow coarse fringes [18%]. There was a significant difference in the distribution of fringe characters between the 3 categories of superficial infections. The main differences were the predominance of discontinuous fringes among oral isolates and narrow coarse fringes among vaginal cases. The combination of simplicity and reproducibility of morphotyping make it an ideal typing method for first line use