Molecular characterization of Candida spp. isolates from patients with bloodstream infections

Introduction The aim of this study was to conduct an epidemiological study comparing the genetic similarity of yeasts isolated from blood cultures. Methods Random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) techniques were used for the Candida samples obtained from patients at the Hospital Universitário da Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso do Sul (HU/UFMS) in Campo Grande, state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, from 1998-2000. Results The most frequently isolated species was Candida albicans (45.8%). DNA amplification from genomic yeast isolates indicated a genetic similarity of over 90%. Conclusions The RAPD profiles obtained were able to differentiate between the isolated Candida species, thereby suggesting that the method might be useful in epidemiological studies.