[The relationship between Candida albicans colonization indices and the presence of specific antibodies in non-neutropenic intensive care unit patients].

Since nosocomial candidemiae is mainly evolved from the endogenous flora of the patients, the detection of colonization indices may guide for the risk of infection especially in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. The aims of this study were the detection of colonization rates of ICU patients with Candida spp., establishment of C. albicans colonization index (CI), and investigation of the relationship between the presence of C. albicans IgM and IgG antibodies and colonization indices. A total of 191 swab specimens collected from at least five different body sites of 37 patients, together with 29 serum samples were included to the study. The rate of patients colonized with Candida spp. was found 70.3% (26/37). C. albicans were isolated from 43 samples of 22 patients, whereas C. tropicalis, C. glabrata, C. krusei and C. parapsilosis were isolated from one each patient's single samples. In seven (27%) of 26 colonized patients, CI was found high (> 0.5), and all of them were found to be colonized with C. albicans. Five of the seven patients with CI > 0.5 were detected as IgM + IgG positive, and one was IgG positive, while one patient's serum could not be obtained. Nineteen patients yielded low CI (< 0.5), of which 15 were found to be colonized with C. albicans. Twelve serum samples could be obtained from these patients, and three were found positive for IgM + IgG, six were positive for IgG alone, whereas three were negative for anti-C. albicans. Seven serum samples could be collected from 11 non-colonized patients, and only two (18.2%) have yielded IgG positivity. A statistically significant difference was detected in IgM positivity (p<0.05), although there was no significance in IgG positivity (p > 0.05) between the patients with high and low colonization indices. In the follow-up of the patients, no candidemiae developed and this was thought to be due to the preventive measures which were taken especially in ICU patients with CI > 0.5. As a result, the follow-up of the ICU patients in terms of C. albicans CI and IgM would be effective for the prevention of serious Candida infections.