Comparative analysis of proteinase, phospholipase, hydrophobicity and biofilm forming ability in Candida species isolated from clinical specimens

Abstract

Candida species are the commensal organisms of human and animal mucosa that cause a wide range of debilitating diseases in immunocompromised patients and other susceptible individuals. The present study aimed to investigate the ability of clinical isolates of various Candida species to produce proteinase and phospholipase, hydrophobicity and biofilm forming ability that assumed to have a vital role in Candida pathogenicity. Eighty-four Candida strains belonged to Candida albicans (44.1%), C. glabrata (5.9%), C. guilliermondii (5.9%), C. krusei (10.8%), C. parapsilosis (26.2%), and C. tropicalis (7.1%) were examined for proteinase and phospholipase production, cell surface hydrophobicity and biofilm forming ability. The production of proteinase and phospholipase was detected in 81 (96.4%) and 79 (94.1%) of the strains, respectively. C. albicans showed the highest proteinase and phospholipase activity (mean Pz values of 0.42±0.25 and 0.72±0.28) and biofilm formation ability (0.66±0.22). C. parapsilosis had the highest hydrophobicity (42.97±16.1), which showed a good correlation with biofilm formation ability. A considerable percentage of non-albicans Candida strains produced significant amounts of proteinase and phospholipase with a good ability of biofilm formation in vitro. Taken together, our results further substantiated that enzymatic activity, hydrophobicity and the ability for biofilm formation are important virulence factors which may be account for pathogenicity of various Candida species distributed in albicans and non-albicans groups.