Studies on adhesion activity of candida albicans to human buccal epithelial cells in relation to its growth phases

Abstract

C. albicans is an important opportunistic pathogen in

HIV infected patients, commonly causes oral candidiasis (OC). Adherence to the host

cell is one of the important virulence factor most extensively studied. Both microbial

and environmental factors influence the process of adherence of candida to host cells. In

this work, we studied the adhesion activity of C. albicans at different growth phases.

Isolates studied here were taken from HIV infected subjects with Oral Candidiasis (OC).Aim of the study was to evaluate the growth curve of C. albicans in specific

growth condition and study the influence of growth phases on adhesion process using

adhesion assay. Settings and Design: Two isolates of C. albicans from HIV infected

patients with OC were randomly chosen for adhesion tests Methods and Material:

Growth curve experiment: C. albicans was grown in Yeast Nitrogen Broth (YNB)

with 500mM galactose/L at 350 C, in a shaking incubator (150rpm). Growth curve was

designed by calculating the viable count (pour plate method) and total count (counting

on Neubauer chamber) in the samples taken at regular intervals. Adhesion Experiment:

Candida cells from the broth were sampled at regular intervals of growth and tested for

adhesion on HBEC from Healthy, non-HIV volunteers. Modification of Kimura and

Pearsall method is used to perform this test. Adhesion pattern at each phase of growth is

calculated. Statistical analysis used: Not applicable. Results: Both strains showed

increased adherence at the end of log phase and stationary phase. Highest rate of HBEC

adherence seen with 23 hrs old candida cells in isolate A. Isolate B, showed highest rate

of adherence to HBEC with 20hrs old candida cells. Conclusions: Adhesion of C.

albicans to host cells is greater with stationary phase cells according to previously done

studies, which in accordance with results of our study. This may suggest that cell surface

components that are responsible for mediating adherence accumulate over time during

stationary phase