Determination of resistance Candida spp. to antifungal agents with systemic action epsilometric method (E-test) with the species-specific characteristics of Candida

Abstract

Evaluation of susceptibility of systemic antifungal agents against Candida spp. in recent years has been standardized and refined based on species-specific characteristics of Candida. In addition to new values clinical breakpoints were introduced epidemiological cutoff value. This value can serve as a sensitive marker of reduced susceptibility to the systemic antifungal agents. In our study was tested the resistance of fluconazole, voriconazole, posaconazole, anidulafungin, caspofungin, micafungin for 294 clinical strains of Candida spp. (2012–2014) from specimens of cancer patients. Definition of MIC was performed by epsilometric method (Е-test). The resistance to azoles in the average observed in 47.4%, to echinocandins – in 4.2%.

Keywords

• e-test
• candida spp.
• invasive candidiasis
• resistance
• clinical breakpoints
• epidemiological cutoff value
• the minimum inhibitory concentration