Genitourinary infections caused by Candida spp. and other yeasts have increased in incidence, and the emergence of resistant isolates to commonly prescribed antifungals is becoming more frequent. Thus, the purpose of this study was to characterize the physiological characteristics of 38 yeast isolates (Candida albicans n = 32, Candida tropicalis n = 3, and Nakaseomyces glabratus n = 3) recovered from genitourinary infections to better understand the diversity of their physiological profiles, their virulence factors, and their role in pathogenicity. In addition, an experimental study was conducted to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the isolates using the M27-A3 microdilution method described by the Clinical Laboratory and Standards Institute. Clinical isolates of Candida spp. studied showed in vitro susceptibility to both fluconazole and clotrimazole, the latter having greater antifungal activity due to its lower MIC50. Statistically significant differences were found between the MICs obtained for fluconazole and clotrimazole, with the latter showing the highest in vitro activity. Therefore, the clinical use of clotrimazole is recommended, as is the ongoing need for this type of analysis to monitor changes in susceptibility profiles over time.
Murillo-Rojas et al. (Fri,) studied this question.