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Summary. Eighty-one of 449 Gabonese female patients examined were found to be positive for genitopubic white piedra. The association with trichobacteriosis is frequent (53 cases), and mostly seen with inguinal intertrigo. Fifty-two strains belonging to the genus Trichosporon were isolated from genital hairs as well as from inguinal intertrigo lesions. These strains were identified in accordance with previously defined morphological and biochemical criteria. Three species were recognized. T. mucoides (25 strains), T. inkin (20 strains) and T. asahii (seven strains). Their macroscopic and microscopic morphological properties, as well as their ability to reduce tetrazolium, were determined. In addition, the study of the clinical and pathogenic associations in which each of these strains was involved revealed some of their particular properties. Zusammenfassung. Unter 449 untersuchten gabunesischen Frauen wurden 81 Patientinnen mit weiser Piedra im Genital-Schamhaar-Bereich gefunderi. Bei 52 dieser Patientinnen wurde Trichosporon isoliert; die Infektion ging haufig mit Trichobakteriose und meist mit Intertrigo einher. Die isolierten Trichosporon-Stamme wurden sowohl vom Schamhaar als auch von inguinalen Intertrigo-Lasionen isoliert. Die Isolate wurden nach den kurzlich definierten morphologischen und biochemischen Kriterien identifiziert. Es wurden drei Arten gefunden: T. mucoides (25 Stamme), T. inkin (20 Stamme) und T. asahii (7 Stamme) Ihre makroskopisch- und mikroskopisch-morphologischen Eigenschaften und ihre Tetrazolium-Reduktionsfahigkeit werden dargestellt. Bei jedem der Stamme wird auf klinische und pathogenetische Besonderheiten hingewiesen.

Summary. Fifty-two Trichosporon strains isolated from Gabonese female patients 15–60 years, were studied. The identity of these strains was established by two different methods: the method proposed by Gueho et al. (1992), based on mycological criteria, and a slide agglutination method performed with monospecific antisera prepared in our laboratory. The final results show a perfect correlation between the two methods, which allowed us to identify 25 strains of T. mucoides, 21 strains of T. inkin and seven strains of T. asahii. The results of the agglutination tests performed with 24-h-old subcultures grown on Sabouraud glucose agar are available in less than 15 mins. In the light of these results, it appears that this method, which is rapid and easy to perform and reproduce, may readily be used in hospital laboratories. In addition, this method allowed us to verify the presence of antigens common to the genera Cryptococcus and Trichosporon, which were easily shown by the use of crude sera. The fact that the anti-Triehosporon monospecific sera lose their capacity to agglutinate Cryptococcus neoformans proves their high specificity. Zusammenfassung. Die Identitat von 52 Trichosporon-Stammen, isoliert von gabunesischen Frauen im Alter zwischen 15 und 60 Jahren. wurden nach zwei unterschiedlichen Methoden identifiziert: 1. Nach der Methode von Gueho et al. 1992, die auf mykologischen Kriterien beruht. und 2. mittels einer Objekttrager-Agglutinations-methode unter Verwendung monospezifscher, in unserem Labor hergestellter Antiseren. Die Ergebnisse belegen eine vollkommene Korrelation zwischen beiden Methoden, die es erlaubte, 25 Stamme von T. mucoides, 21 Stamme von T. inkin und 7 Stamme von T. asahii zu identifizieren. Die Agglutinationsreaktionen wurden mil 24 h alten Subkulturen auf Sabouraud-Glucose-Agar durchgefuhrt; ihre Ergebnisse waren in weniger als 15 Minuten verfugbar. Auf dem Hintergrund dieser Befunde wird diese Methode als schnell, leicht durchfuhrbar und sicher reproduzierbar fur die allgemeine Anwendung in Krankenhauslaboratorien empfohlen. In dieser Studie war auch der Besitz gemeinsamer Antigene bei den Gattungen Cryptococcus und Trichosporon nachweisbar, wenn Rohseren verwendet wurden. Der Nachweis, das monospezifische Anti-Trichosporon-Seren die Fahigkeit verlieren, Cryptococcus neoformans zu agglutinieren, belegt ihre hohe Spezifitat.

Eighty-one of 449 Gabonese female patients examined were found to be positive for genitopubic white piedra. The association with trichobacteriosis is frequent (53 cases), and mostly seen with inguinal intertrigo. Fifty-two strains belonging to the genus Trichosporon were isolated from genital hairs as well as from inguinal intertrigo lesions. These strains were identified in accordance with previously defined morphological and biochemical criteria. Three species were recognized: T. mucoides (25 strains), T. inkin (20 strains) and T. asahii (seven strains). Their macroscopic and microscopic morphological properties, as well as their ability to reduce tetrazolium, were determined. In addition, the study of the clinical and pathogenic associations in which each of these strains was involved revealed some of their particular properties.

Fifty-two Trichosporon strains isolated from Gabonese female patients 15-60 years, were studied. The identity of these strains was established by two different methods: the method proposed by Guého et al. (1992), based on mycological criteria, and a slide agglutination method performed with monospecific antisera prepared in our laboratory. The final results show a perfect correlation between the two methods, which allowed us to identify 25 strains of T. mucoides, 21 strains of T. inkin and seven strains of T. asahii. The results of the agglutination tests performed with 24-h-old subcultures grown on Sabouraud glucose agar are available in less than 15 mins. In the light of these results, it appears that this method, which is rapid and easy to perform and reproduce, may readily be used in hospital laboratories. In addition, this method allowed us to verify the presence of antigens common to the genera Cryptococcus and Trichosporon, which were easily shown by the use of crude sera. The fact that the anti-Trichosporon monospecific sera lose their capacity to agglutinate Cryptococcus neoformans proves their high specificity.