Coexistence of Candida species and bacteria in patients with cystic fibrosis

Johanna Haiko,Gabriella Bagger,Ferenc Karpati,Volkan Özenci,Baharak Saeedi

doi:10.1007/s10096-019-03493-3

Abstract

Cystic fibrosis (CF) patients become colonized by pathogenic bacteria as well as by Candida species. The interplay between different microorganisms may play a key role in the prognosis of CF. The aim of the study was to analyze the coexistence patterns of bacteria and Candida spp. in sputum samples of patients with CF and to compare these patterns with the results of patients with other respiratory disorders (ORD). Sputum samples from 130 patients with CF and 186 patients with ORD were cultured on six different agar plates promoting the growth of bacteria and yeasts. Bacterial and Candida species were identified with MALDI-TOF MS. Pathogenic bacteria were found in 69.2% of the sputum samples of the CF patients, and in 44.1% the patients with ORD. CF patients tended to have growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus in sputum more often than patients with ORD. Overall, there was no difference in the coexistence of pathogenic bacteria and Candida spp. in these patient groups. However, when analyzed at the species level, P. aeruginosa and S. aureus coexisted with Candida spp. more frequently in sputum samples of CF patients compared with patients with ORD. Also, when analyzed according to age, it was shown that the adult (≥ 18 years) CF patients had a higher rate of coexistence of any pathogenic bacteria and Candida spp. than the children with CF and the adult patients with ORD. The rate for colonization with Candida together with pathogenic bacteria is increased in adult patients with CF.

Highlights

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common monogenetic autosomal recessive disease in Northern Europe
Clinical sputum samples from 130 patients with CF and 186 patients with other respiratory disorders were included in the study
In the present prospective study, we analyzed the presence of pathogenic bacteria and Candida spp. in clinical sputum samples by a culture-based method in patients with CF and patients with other respiratory disorders

Summary

Introduction

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common monogenetic autosomal recessive disease in Northern Europe. The disease is caused by mutations in a cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene whose product is a chloride channel (Williams et al [1]). CFTR mutations result in reduced excretion of chloride ions in the apical membrane of epithelial cells. Water absorption and viscid secretions increase, leading to defective mucociliary clearance. Recent studies have showed that the interaction between P. aeruginosa and Candida spp. can result in significant changes in the pathogenicity of P. aeruginosa [6,7,8,9,10]. Since P. aeruginosa is regarded as one of the most important pathogens in CF, detection and isolation of this

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion