Epidemiological typing of Candida albicans from bloodstream infections by restriction enzyme analysis

: Poikonen E, Vuopio-Varkila J, Kaukoranta-Tolvanen SS, Sivonen A, Siren E, Ruutu P

: 2001

: Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases

: Scandinavian journal of infectious diseases

: Scand J Infect Dis

: 33

: 2

: 140

: 4

: 5

: 0036-5548

Candida albicans blood culture isolates (n = 142) from 130 patients treated in 7 acute care hospitals in Southern Finland between 1986 and 1995 were typed by restriction enzyme analysis (REA) with EcoRI and MspI. REA revealed 118 distinct DNA types: 13 were detected in > 1 patient and 105 DNA types were unique. Patients with identical DNA types were not temporally or geographically clustered. Among 11 patients with more than 1 C. albicans isolate during 1 episode of fungemia the DNA type remained the same, except in 1 patient. These results indicate that REA is a powerful tool for the epidemiological typing of C. albicans infections.