ISOLADOS DE Cryptococcus neoformans, C. gattii e C. laurentii PRODUTORES DE PROTEASE E FOSFOLIPASE

Abstract

Cryptococcosis is an opportunistic systemic mycosis, which may affect humans and various animal species, especially in cases of immunosuppression. The infection may be acquired through inhalation and by hematogenous route; the yeast has the ability to reach and colonize the central nervous system. The aim of this survey was the isolation of the Cryptococcus neoformans yeast from central nervous system of dogs in Rio de Janeiro city. Periodic collections were made from brain samples at the Rabies Diagnosis Laboratory in Instituto Municipal de Medicina Veterinaria Jorge Vaitsman in Mangueira, Rio de Janeiro. The isolation, the identification of this yeast and the evaluation of protease and phospholipase production were performed at the Laboratory of Environmental and Pathogenic Yeasts of the Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro. A medium containing bovine serum albumin was used to evaluate protease production and to evaluate the production of phospholipase. The medium used consisted of egg yolk and CaCl2. According to the results obtained of the 166 clinical samples from dogs, we found four positive samples; one of these was positive for Cryptococcus laurentii, two were positive for Cryptococcus neoformans; and one for Cryptococcus gattii; all of them produced protease and phospholipase.