Actividad de fosfolipasa y susceptibilidad in vitro a fluconazol en aislamientos clínicos y aviarios de Cryptococcus neoformans / Phospholipase activity and in vitro susceptibility to fluconazol in clinical and aviars isolates of Cryptococcus neoformans

Se detectó la actividad de fosfolipasa en 19 cepas clínicas y 17 aviarias de C. neoformans var. neoformans, usando Agar Sabouraud con yema de huevo, incubándose a 37ºC por 5 días. Se determinó el índice Pz estableciéndose los siguientes rangos: Pz muy alto (0.9-1), alto (0.89-0.80), bajo (0.79-0.70) y muy bajo (<0.69). El 84 por ciento de las cepas clínicas presentaron índice Pz muy bajo, el 5 por ciento bajo y 11 por ciento muy alto. Mientras en las cepas aviarias el 82 por ciento presentaron índice muy bajo y un 18 por ciento muy alto. Los valores de Pz promedio fueron muy bajos en todos los aislamientos, sin existir diferencias significativas (p > 0,05) entre las cepas clínicas y aviarias, lo que implica una alta actividad enzimática. La susceptibilidad in vitro a Fluconazol se realizó por el método de difusión con discos y el 89,5 por ciento de las cepas clínicas fueron sensibles y el 10,5 por ciento resistentes, mientras en las cepas aviarias, el 59 por ciento fueron sensibles, 29 por ciento sensible dosis dependiente y un12 por ciento resistentes.

Phospholipase activity was determined to 19 clinical and 17 aviars trains of C. neoformans var. neoformans, incubating the yeast for 5 days at 37º C on Sabouraud Agar supplemented with egg yolk. Pz values were determined and the following ranges were established: very high (0.9-1), high (0.89-0.80), low (0.79-0.70) and very low (<0.69). The 84 percent of the clinical isolates showed Pz values very low (5 percent) and 11 percent very high. On the other hand, the 82 percent of the aviars strains presented Pz values very low and 18 percent very high. Average Pz values were very low in all isolates , there were no statically significant differences (p>0.05) implying a high enzymatic activity. Susceptibility in vitro testing to Fluconazole was performed by a disk diffusion method (M44-A).The 89.5 percent of the clinical isolates were susceptible and 10.5 percent resistant, while in avian strains, 59 por ciento were susceptible, 29 percent susceptible dose dependent and 12 percent resistant.

Caracterización de especies del género Malassezia en pacientes con dermitis seborreica y en controles / Characterization of species of the gender Malassezia in patients with seborrheic dermatitis and subjects without skin lesions

The yeast Malassezia spp has an established etiological role in pityriasis versicolor, folliculitis, systemic infections and onychomycosis. Aim: To assess the presence of Malassezia spp in patients with seborrheic dermatitis (SD), to find a correlation between Malassezia spp count and the severity of the disease and to compare the prevalence of the different Malassezia species in SD patients and subjects without skin lesions. Patients and methods: Scrapings of the face from 81 patients with SD (69 males) and 79 subjects (54 males) without skin lesions were obtained for a direct microscope examination and yeast culture. Results: The yeast Malassezia was found in 76% of SD patients and in 82% of subjects without skin lesions. There was a positive correlation between the number of yeasts found on direct examination and the clinical severity of lesions in SD patients. Although this correlation was statistically significant (p=0.046), the degree of association (rho=0.22) was weak. Fifty Malassezia species were identified. M globosa was found in 67% of SD patients, followed by M furfur and M sympodialis, each present in 16.5% of the SD patients. In subjects without skin lesions, the most prevalent species were M globosa (77%), followed by M sympodialis (12%), M slooffiae (7%) and M furfur (4%). Conclusions: The presence of the yeast Malassezia is not associated with the presence of skin lesions (Rev Méd Chile 2003; 131: 1295-300).