Korean J Infect Dis.  2002 Oct;34(5):311-317.

Molecular Typing of Candida parapsilosis Isolates from Patients and Healthcare Workers by Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis

• Shin JH
• Shin DH
• Song JW
• Park MR
• Kim KJ
• Cho D
• Kee SJ
• Suh SP
• Ryang DW

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The epidemiology of Candida parapsilosis is still undefined and may involve sources such as hospital environment and hands of healthcare workers (HCWs). We performed molecular typing of C. parapsilosis isolates from intensive care unit (ICU) patients and to compare these with isolates from ICU HCWs.
METHODS
A total of 57 C. parapsilosis strains including isolates from blood (n=20) and central venous catheter (n=14) of patients and isolates from hands of HCWs (n=23) were analyzed. All the isolates were collected from candidemic patients (n=20) and HCWs (n= 18) of two ICUs during January 1999 to December 2000. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) analysis were performed by electrophoretic karyotyping and restriction endonuclease analysis of genomic DNA using SfiI.
RESULTS
PFGE separated 57 isolates into 37 distinct types. For bloodstream isolates, a total of 18 different DNA types were identified among 20 isolates from 20 .patients: two strain types (K1 and K13) were shared by four isolates from four patients. The catheter strains from each patient exhibited the same PFGE pattern with bloodstream isolates. Of 23 strains from 18 HCWs, a total of 20 different DNA types were identified: 3 strain types shared by 6 isolates from 6 HCWs. Only one of the PFGE types of the HCWs was shared with patient isolates; an isolate with the same K13 pattern as isolates of two patients was found the hands of HCW.
CONCLUSION
This suggest that although C. parapsilosis isolates have a high level of genetic diversity, nosocomial transmission may occur among ICU patients and HCWs via hands.

Keyword

Candida parapsilosis; PFGE; Healthcare workers; Candidemia; Central venous catheter

MeSH Terms

Candida*
Candidemia
Catheters
Central Venous Catheters
Delivery of Health Care*
DNA
DNA Restriction Enzymes
Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field*
Epidemiology
Genetic Variation
Hand
Humans
Intensive Care Units
Karyotyping
Molecular Typing*
DNA
DNA Restriction Enzymes