Molecular identification of C. parapsilosis complex yeasts

Candida parapsilosis is nowadays an emerging agent, occupying the second place in invasive candidiasis after C. albicans. It is currently known that C. parapsilosis integrates a complex formed by C. parapsilosis sensu stricto, C. metapsilosis and C. orthopsilosis. The aim of this work was the study and molecular identification of 80 strains of C. parapsilosis sensu lato from different clinical materials. Molecular identification was performed by MALDI- TOF technique and PCR-RFLP; antifungal susceptibility was analyzed by VITEK2 technique and agar diffusion. Of the total strains studied, 92.5 % of C. parapsilosis sensu stricto, 5 % of C. metapsilosis and 2.5 % of C. orthopsilosis were found. No resistance to any of the antifungals used by both methods was observed. It could be observed that, contrary to what is described in the world literature, in our center C. metapsilosis occupies the second place of importance after C. parapsilosis sensu stricto.