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Journal of Medical Microbiology logo Journal of Medical Microbiology

Volume 71, Issue 4

Molecular identification and antifungal susceptibility of clinically relevant and cryptic species of sections and No Access

Abstract

sections and comprise clinically relevant and cryptic species that differ significantly in drug susceptibility, meaning that effective treatment depends on correct species identification.

There are no comprehensive data for molecular identification and antifungal susceptibility testing (AFST) of clinically relevant and cryptic species of sections and as the main agents of invasive and non-invasive aspergillosis in Iran.

We aimed to perform molecular identification and AFST of 213 clinical isolates belonging to sections and .

Molecular identification of isolates was performed using sequencing of the β-tubulin gene and AFST was conducted according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) M38-A3 guidelines.

The most common isolates in sections and were (110/113, 97.3 %) and (49/100, 49.0 %), respectively. A total of 62/213 (29.1 %) isolates belonging to cryptic species were identified; among them, was the most prevalent (49/62, 79.0%). and isolates that responded to the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of itraconazole above the epidemiological cutoff values were the most frequently detected: 8/110 (7.3 %) and 3/41 (7.3 %), respectively. In section , responded to amphotericin B at a high MIC (>16 µg mL) and in section , one of the three isolates responded to itraconazole at an MIC >16 µg ml. Interestingly, for all isolates, the MIC and MIC of itraconazole were both 16 µg ml.

A considerable presence of and isolates showing non-wild-type responses to azoles in clinical cases of aspergillosis indicates the importance of classifying clinical isolates at the species level and performing antifungal susceptibility testing on the isolates, which would ensure appropriate treatment.

  • Received:
  • Accepted:
  • Published Online:
Keyword(s): antifungal agent , Aspergillus , beta-tubulin , fungal drug sensitivity test , Iran and polymerase chain reaction
Funding
This study was supported by the:
  • Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences (Award 1597)
    • Principle Award Recipient: MohammadTaghi Hedayati
© 2022 The Authors
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/content/journal/jmm/10.1099/jmm.0.001480
2022-04-22
2025-01-25
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Molecular identification and antifungal susceptibility of clinically relevant and cryptic species of Aspergillus sections Flavi and Nigri
J. Med. Microbiol. 71, 001480 (2022); https://doi.org/10.1099/jmm.0.001480
/content/journal/jmm/10.1099/jmm.0.001480
/content/journal/jmm/10.1099/jmm.0.001480
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