STUDIES ON PHENOTYPIC CHARACTERIZATION AND SELECTIVE VIRULENCE FACTORS OF CANDIDA SPP. AND CRYPTOCOCCUS NEOFORMANS AND IN VITRO SUSCEPTIBILITY OF THESE ORGANISMS TO THE CONVENTIONAL AMPHOTERICIN B AND FUNGISOMETM

The human fungal infections have increased tremendously in our country, especially candidal infections. Cryptococcus neoformans is
encapsulated   yeast,   causes   life-threatening   infections   in   immuno-compromised individuals such as AIDS. Meningoencephalitis is the serious consequence of C. neoformans infection. Studies are therefore, required for identification of these fungal agents and search for suitable antifungal therapy. Keeping this in view, Candida spp. and Cryptococcus neoformans strains were characterized. Also, the comparative in vitro antifungal susceptibility to conventional Amphotericin B (AMB-d) and Indian Liposomal Amphotericin B (Fungisome^TM) shall be determined.  Candida albicans, non-Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans strains originating from clinical cases have been characterized using phenotypic methods and selective virulence traits. The isolates were obtained from National Culture Collection of Pathogenic Fungi, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India. The MIC ranges of conventional Amphotericin B (AMB-d) and Indian Liposomal Amphotericin B, Fungisome^TM against all the strains of Candida spp. and Cryptococcus neoformans were also determined. Both the fungal genera could be identified using various phenotypic characteristics and selective virulence factors. The MIC ranges of Fungisome^TM ranged from 0.25-0.125 mg/l as against0.5-8.0 mg/l in case of AMB-d for Candida spp. and the MIC ranges of Fungisome^TM ranged from 0.25-0.125 mg/l as against 0.125-1.0mg/l in case of AMB-d for Cryptococcus neoformans. The phenotypic characteristics can be used to identify isolates of Candida and Cryptococcus species. Fungisome^TM proved more efficacious against both the fungal species as compared to conventional Amphotericin B (AMB-d