[Is diabetes mellitus a risk factor in genital yeast infections?]. / Je diabetes mellitus rizikový faktor kvasinkového posevního zánetu?

OBJECTIVE: To analyze experimental and clinical data on diabetes mellitus (DM) related to infections with focus on vaginal mycosis. To evaluate a role of DM in the epidemiology of vulvovaginal candidiasis. DESIGN: Review. SETTING: Department of Clinical Microbiology, Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Hradec Kralove. METHODS: Review of literature data. RESULTS: DM is a risk factor for fungal infections caused by yeasts (Candida albicans), members of Mucorales fungi, some dimorphic fungi (Coccidioides) and agents of onychomycosis. DM is usually associated only with increased colonization of the anatomical sites (oral cavity, vagina), and/ or with an intensified symptomatology of infection (onychomycosis, mucormycosis). Diabetic patients with oropharyngeal and vulvovaginal candidiasis have frequently changed etiology spectrum. The patients with VVC and DM, especially of older age or with prone to relapses, have tendency to shift of the spectrum to non-albicans species, mainly C. glabrata. Treatment of VVC in diabetic patients can be complicated owing to unfavourable antifungal susceptibility profile (C. glabrata) and/ or adverse interactions between some azole antifungals and sulfonylurea-based antidiabetics. CONCLUSION: Diabetes mellitus is often cited as a risk factor, although in many cases there is a lack of reliable and clinically relevant information. This does not mean that this disease can be underestimated. On the contrary, it is necessary to get the DM as soon as possible under control and thus prevent complications when infection develops. Individual approach should be applied to the diabetic patients at risk of an infection. Yeast colonization and development of vaginal infection is complex process primarily dependent on sexual hormones, indigenous microbiota and finely tuned mechanisms of local immunity. Role of DM consists in the fact that it is one of the important co-factors that can change the setup of the vaginal environment in favour of yeasts and thus promote or facilitate the development of VVC.

Comparison of disk diffusion test and Etest for voriconazole and fluconazole susceptibility testing.

The distribution for voriconazole and fluconazole susceptibility was determined by Etest and disk diffusion test in 143 clinical isolates. The majority of the strains of Aspergillus spp., Candida krusei, C. inconspicua, C norvegensis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae displayed resistance or decreased susceptibility to fluconazole in contrast to voriconazole. The absolute categorical agreement for voriconazole and fluconazole susceptibility results by the disk method and Etest was 90.5 and 74.8 % respectively. The error rate bounding analysis showed only 0.7 % of false susceptible results ( very major error) with voriconazole, but 2.8 % with fluconazole. Fluconazole can be used as a surrogate factor to predict voriconazole susceptibility but with lower reliability for susceptible-dose dependent and resistance category, especially in Candida glabrata isolates. The results of the disk method were not substantially influenced by the composition of media (Mueller-Hinton agar vs antimycotic Sensitivity Test agar), even if with the latter the results had fewer tendencies to produce false susceptibility of C.glabrata isolates to both of the triazole drugs. Disk test as well as Etest were shown to represent suitable methods for routine evaluation of susceptibility of clinical isolates of pathogenic fungi, including aspergilli, to fluconazole and voriconazole.

[Recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis--possibility of its treatment]. / Rekurentní vulvovaginální kandidóza--soucasný stav problematiky a lécebné moznosti.

OBJECTIVE: A review of recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis and the possibility of its treatment. SUBJECT: Original study. SETTING: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Medical Faculty Hradec Králové, Charles University, Prague. Department of Clinical Microbiology, Medical Faculty Hradec Králové, Charles University, Prague. Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy Hradec Králové, Charles University, Prague. Department of Clinical Imunology and Allergology, Medical Faculty Hradec Králové, Charles University, Prague. Department of Psychiatry, Medical Faculty Olomouc, Palacky University, Olomouc. METHODS: Analysis and discussion focused especially on our results and experience in a long time followup of patients with confirmed recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis. CONCLUSION: Owing to the multifactorial character of etiopathogenesis, the management of recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis would be taken into consideration the complexity of the disease, not only the treatment of individual episodes with antimycotics.