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In Vitro Susceptibility of Environmental Isolates of Exophiala dermatitidis to Five Antifungal Drugs

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Abstract

Several dematiaceous fungi frequently isolated from nature are involved in cases of superficial lesions to lethal cerebral infections. Antifungal susceptibility data on environmental and clinical isolates are still sparse despite the advances in testing methods. The objective of this study was to examine the activities of 5-flucytosine, amphotericin B, itraconazole, voriconazole and terbinafine against environmental isolates of Exophiala strains by minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) determination. The strains were obtained from hydrocarbon-contaminated soil, ant cuticle and fungal pellets from the infrabuccal pocket of attine gynes. Broth microdilution assay using M38-A2 reference methodology for the five antifungal drugs and DNA sequencing for fungal identification were applied. Terbinafine was the most active drug against the tested strains. It was observed that amphotericin B was less effective, notably against Exophiala spinifera, also studied. High MICs of 5-flucytosine against Exophiala dermatitidis occurred. This finding highlights the relevance of studies on the antifungal resistance of these potential opportunistic species. Our results also contribute to a future improvement of the standard methods to access the drug efficacy currently applied to black fungi.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by “Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo” (FAPESP—Proc. 2010/02032-9) and the “Brazilian Petroleum Company” (Petrobrás—RH-UP 002/2008). The authors would like to thank Dr. Sybren de Hoog for comments on the text.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for the Study of Social Insects, IB, UNESP- São Paulo State University, Rio Claro, SP, Brazil

    Ana Paula Miranda Duarte, Fernando Carlos Pagnocca, Noemi Carla Baron & Derlene Attili-Angelis

  2. Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, IB, UNESP-São Paulo State University, Av. 24A, n. 1515, Bela Vista, Rio Claro, SP, 13506-900, Brazil

    Fernando Carlos Pagnocca, Dejanira de Franceschi de Angelis & Derlene Attili-Angelis

  3. Division of Microbial Resources, CPQBA, University of Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil

    Derlene Attili-Angelis

  4. Adolfo Lutz Public Health Reference Laboratory, Rio Claro, SP, Brazil

    Marcia de Souza Carvalho Melhem & Gislene Aparecida Palmeira

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  1. Ana Paula Miranda Duarte
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Correspondence to Derlene Attili-Angelis.

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Duarte, A.P.M., Pagnocca, F.C., Baron, N.C. et al. In Vitro Susceptibility of Environmental Isolates of Exophiala dermatitidis to Five Antifungal Drugs. Mycopathologia 175, 455–461 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-012-9597-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-012-9597-9

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