Hydrophobicity of Candida albicans related to their adherence to mucosal epithelial cells.

A total of 150 Candida albicans strains were examined, using a salt aggregation test (SAT) and an improved salt aggregation test (ISAT). The fungal strains were isolated from patients or taken from a collection. Out of 150 strains, 20.7% were autoaggregating in the ISAT. In the SAT, 12% of the strains were autoaggregating in saline and 14% in phosphate buffer. The remaining strains did not clump. Pretreatment of the autoaggregating strains with detergents (Tween 80 and ethylene glycol) prevented aggregation in some of them. The adherence capacity to buccal epithelial cells of the fungal strains autoaggregating in the SAT and ISAT, was compared to that of the nonaggregating ones. The autoaggregating strains revealed significantly higher adherence values (p less than 0.002). The adherence ability to buccal epithelial cells of the autoaggregating strains before and after their pretreatment with detergents was compared. The adherence values after pretreatment were significantly lower (p less than 0.001).