14th ICID - Poster Abstracts - International Society for Infectious ...

When citing these abstracts please use the following reference:
Author(s) of abstract. Title of abstract [abstract]. Int J Infect Dis 2010;14S1: Abstract number.
Please note that the official publication of the International Journal of Infectious Diseases 2010, Volume 14, Supplement 1
is available electronically on http://www.sciencedirect.com
Final Abstract Number: 30.007
Session: Mycology, Fungal Infections and Antifungal Drugs
Date: Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Time: 12:30-13:30
Room: Poster & Exhibition Area/Ground Level
Type: Poster Presentation
Comparative studies on the in-vitro activity of pentamycin against non-albicans Candida species
and Saccharomyces cerevisiae in 161 clinical isolates
C. Winnips 1 , W. Buzina 2 , B. Dupont 3
1 Lumavita AG, Basel, Switzerland, 2 Institute of Hygiene, Microbiology and Environmental
Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria, 3 Service de Maladies Infectieuses et
Tropicales, Hôpital Necker-Enfant Malades, Paris, France
Background: Pentamycin is a broad-spectrum polyene macrolide and the available intravaginal
formulation (FemiFect®, 3 mg vaginal tablets, Lumavita AG, Basel, Switzerland) is effective in the
treatment of vaginal trichomoniasis, candidiasis sustained by Candida albicans and mixed
infections (Clin. Ter. 92: 137-142, 1980; Internet Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics 11(1),
2009). Because yeasts other than C. albicans are frequently isolated in recurrent or mixed forms
of vaginal mycoses, it is important to assess the activity of pentamycin against these species,
which also exhibit reduced susceptibility to conventional antimycotic drugs. Therefore, the
objective of this study was to compare the in-vitro activity of pentamycin with that of nystatin,
amphotericin B, and fluconazole against strains of non-albicans candidal species and strains of
Saccharomyces cerevisiae isolated from medical samples.
Methods: Two collections of clinical isolates included in total 40 strains of C. glabrata, 41 strains
of C. parapsilosis, 30 strains of C. tropicalis, 30 strains of C. krusei and 20 strains of S.
cerevisiae. In-vitro susceptibility testing was performed using the broth microdilution method
developed by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI), document M27-A2. The
minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of each tested drug was read visually after 24 hours and
48 hours of incubation.
Results: The MIC at which 90% of strains of each yeast species were inhibited (MIC90) after 48
hours of incubation was 1-4 μg/ml for pentamycin, 1-2 μg/ml for nystatin, 0.5-1 μg/ml for
amphotericin B and 1-32 μg/ml for fluconazole. Some strains of C. glabrata and S. cerevisiae,
and most strains of C. krusei were categorized as susceptible-dose dependent or resistant to
fluconazole, according to the CLSI document (MIC >8 μg/ml). At concentrations 4 μg/ml,
pentamycin inhibited completely the growth of 100% of strains of all species tested, including
those strains less susceptible to fluconazole (MIC range: 16-32 μg/ml).
Conclusion: Pentamycin exhibited potent in-vitro fungicidal activity against the yeasts that are
frequently isolated in recurrent forms of vaginal mycoses and mixed infections, like C. glabrata
and S. cerevisiae (J. Clin. Microbiol. 43: 2155-62, 2005; Mycoses 49: 471-5, 2006).
Pentamycin was also highly active against the strains of non-albicans candidal species that were
susceptible-dose dependent or resistant to fluconazole.