Methods: : Candida isolation from patients with oral candidiasis and healthy carriers were performed by mucosal swab and oral rinse techniques, respectively. Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis isolates were identified by morphological characteristics on Sabouraud’s dextrose agar (SDA), germ tube test and chlamydospore production. All candida isolates were also confirmed by PCR technique using species-specific primer, then they were genotyped by 25s rDNA typing technique.
Results: The results showed 14 of the 55 oral candidiasis isolates were found as genotype A (25.5%), 24 were genotype B (43.6%), 16 were genotype C (29.1%) and 1 were genotype D (1.8%). Whereas 14 of the 41 healthy carrier isolates were genotype A (34.3%), 19 were genotype B (46.3%), 4 were genotype C (9.7%) and 4 were genotype D (9.7%). It indicated the genotype B was more prevalent than other subgroups in oral candidiasis, while genotype C was found to have higher frequency in oral candidiasis group than healthy carriers. Genotype D was in fact C. dubliniensis, which was detected in both patients and carriers groups.
Conclusions: Genotype C of C. albicans might have correlation with virulence factor causing oral candidiasis therefore phenotypic characterization will be further determined.