METHODS: DNA was extracted from twenty eight randomly selected C.albicans isolates previously obtained from children attending HIV out-patient clinics at the Kalafong and George Mukhari Hospitals. EcoRI digests were electrophoresed on an 0.8% agarose gel. Southern blots were hybridized with a labeled Ca3 probe and autoradiographed. A dendrogram was constructed using DENDRON software and inserting isolates of known clade affiliation, to delineate the new groups. Chi-square analysis was performed to determine whether there was any statistically significant difference in the clade distribution among C. albicans isolates from HIV/AIDS children from these 2 Tshwane hospitals and between the children and previously obtained data from adults.
RESULTS: Of the 28 isolates from the 2 paediatric clinics, 3 (10.7%) belonged to Clade I, 2 (7.1%) to clade II, 2 (7.1%) to clade III and 18 (64.2%) to clade SA. Three (10.7%) isolates had no clade affiliation (“no group”=NG). These results were compared to those previously obtained from adults attending the same 2 hospitals. When the Chi-square was done, there was no statistically significant difference in the clade distribution of C. albicans isolates between adults and children. The Chi-square analysis also revealed no difference between the clade affiliations of the isolates from the two clinics.
CONCLUSION: In this study, no statistically significant difference in the distribution of clades between C. albicans isolates collected from HIV positive adults and children were found. In addition, no difference could be established between isolates collected from paediatric patients attending the Kalafong and George Mukhari Hospitals.