Identification of Candida Species Isolated From Oral Colonization in Iranian HIV-Positive Patients, by PCR-RFLP Method

Background: The incidence of opportunistic infections due to Candida albicans and other Candida spp. has been increasing. Rapid identification of candidiasis is important for the clinical management of immunocompromised patients. Polymerase chain reactionrestriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) is a rapid, sensitive, and specific method for detection of clinically important fungi. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to identify Candida spp. isolated from the oral cavities of HIV-infected patients in southeastern Iran (Kerman), by using PCR-based restriction enzyme digestion. Patients and Methods: We identified 96 Candida isolates obtained from 139 Iranian patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), between April 2009 and April 2010, by using PCR-RFLP assay. Universal primers for the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region (ITS1–ITS4) of the fungal rRNA genes were used for this assay. Results: We successfully identified the different Candida spp. by using the restriction enzyme MspI. C. albicans was the most commonly identified species (82.2%), followed by C. glabrata (7.29%), C. parapsilosis and C. kefyr (both 4.1%), and C. tropicalis (2%). Conclusions: PCR-RFLP is a highly sensitive, specific, and direct method for fungal detection and can be used for fungal epidemiological studies in HIV-positive and other immunocompromised patients.