[Evaluation of mycologic and myco-serologic studies of materials derived from the respiratory tract of patients in the years 1986-1990].

The material for mycological studies consisted of 7146 samples of respiratory tract material derived from 7764 patients (6495 samples of sputum, 235 bronchial rinsings and 416 throat smears). Serological studies were performed with 684 samples of serum by application of indirect immunofluorescence (IF) and gel immunodiffusion (ID) tests. Candida- like fungi in amounts which were diagnostically significant (10(6) cells/ml) were found in 16.7% samples of sputum. among fungi isolated from sputum there were 14 species of Candida- like fungi, mainly C. albicans (76%) and 7 species of moulds (including A. fumigatus-0.7%). Fungi were isolated from bronchial washings in 23.4% of samples. Among the isolated strains, 12.6% of Candida albicans were resistant to 5-fluorocytosine and 14.1% were resistant to amphotericin B. Antibodies against C. albicans by application of both IF and ID were found in 2.2% samples of serum. Antibodies against A. fumigatus were present in 11.6% of samples.