Detection of ERG11 gene expression by triazole resistant Candida albicans isolated from apparently healthy women in Abakaliki metropolis, Ebonyi state, Nigeria

3^rd International Conference on Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Diseases

September 24-25, 2018 | Montreal, Canada

Agumah Nnabuife B, Orji MU, Opara John-Kennedy, Onwuliri FC and Onwuliri EA

Ebonyi State University, Nigeria
Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nigeria
University of Jos, Nigeria
African Centre for Excellence in Phyto-medicine Research and Development, Nigeria

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Med Microb Diagn

Abstract :

Statement of Problem: ERG11 gene has been reported to be one of the genes whose expression is responsible for resistance of Candida to various triazole drugs which are the first-line treatment for Candidiasis. This study was carried out to detect the expression of ERG11 gene by Triazole resistant Candida albicans isolated from women in Abakaliki. Methodology: Urine and vaginal swab samples were randomly collected from volunteers after obtaining their consent to participate in the study. The study covered a period of Ten months from March to 2016-January 2017. 565 women participated in the study. A total of 340 Urine specimens and 288 vaginal swab specimens were collected. Trichomonas broth was used and it is selective for both T. vaginalis and C. albicans. Hence various broths that yielded positive to the presence of budding yeast cells after Microscopy were subcultured on to Sabourauds dextrose agar after which Germ tube test was carried out to confirm the presence of C. albicans. Biochemical tests including Carbohydrate fermentation and Urease utilization were also employed. Antibiogram of C. albicans isolates obtained from this study was carried out using commercially available azole drugs. Fluconazole and Voriconazole were selected as Triazole drugs used for this study. Nystatin was used as a tangential control. A total of 12 isolates that resisted all the azole drugs were selected and screened for the presence of ERG11 gene using Real-time polymerase chain reaction technique. Four pairs of primers were used for this study. The amplified DNA products were further subjected to Restriction digestion to check for point mutations. Findings: Findings from this study showed that Trichomonas vaginalis had a prevalence of 0%. The total prevalence recorded for C. albicans was 13.0%. Incidence was higher in pregnant (60.9%) than nonpregnant (39.02%) volunteers. With respect to clinical samples, Incidence was higher in vaginal swabs samples (60.90%) than Urine samples (39.02%). Volunteers within the age group 26-30 recorded the highest incidence (34.15%) while those within the age group 36-40 recorded the lowest at 9.76%. In pregnant participants, the highest incidence was recorded with those in their 3rd trimester (52%) while the lowest incidence was recorded for those in their first trimester (10%). Antibiogram results from this study showed that C. albicans isolates obtained from this study resisted Fluconazole (72%) more than Voriconazole (57%). ERG11 was detected in all 12 resistant C. albicans selected. The molecular weight of the ERG11 region amplified was 94bp. The same result was obtained after restriction digestion. Hence no point mutation was observed. It was suggested that this could be a result of homologous nucleotide orientation.

Biography :

E-mail: agumahbuife@ebsu.edu.ng