In vitro susceptibility of 115 isolates of Candida to amphotericin B, fluconazole and itraconazole.

Opportunistic fungal infections are an increasingly important cause of morbidity and mortality particularly due to Candida species (1). There is also an increase of candidosis especially ascribed to acquired or induced immunodeficiency syndromes or in the event of long-term antibiotic, immuno-suppressor or cytotoxic therapies. Consequently there has been an increase in the use of systemic antifungal agents responsible for the emergence of new opportunistic fungi (2) and resistant species (3, 4). Oropharyngeal candidiasis caused by various species of Candida is one of the most common opportunistic infections in AIDS. In recent years there has been an increasing number of yeast isolates resistant to fluconazole (4, 5) or to amphotericin B (6). The aim of the present study was to examine the susceptibility in vitro of itraconazole, a newly introduced antifungal agent in the local or systemic therapy of oropharyngeal candidiosis, vs well-known agents such as amphotericin B and fluconazole, against various Candida clinical isolates. The present results, in agreement with other studies, show strong in vitro activity of itraconazole against Candida spp. and particularly against less susceptible species C. glabrata, C. tropicalis or C. krusei.