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CHROMagar Candida is a new differential culture medium that allows selective isolation of yeasts and simultaneously identifies colonies of Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Candida tropicalis and Candida krusei. We evaluated this medium and compared it with a reference medium, Sabouraud glucose agar, for the presumptive identification of yeast species isolated directly on the medium from 1150 clinical specimens. A total of 731 specimens showed no growth, 299 isolates (70.2%) showed growth to the same extent on both media. Forty mixed cultures were detected on both media. More than one isolate was detected in 30 of the tested specimens on either CHROMagar (26 specimens) or Sabouraud glucose agar (four specimens). We found a sensitivity of 98.8% and a specificity of 100% for C. albicans, 66.7% and 99.8% for C. tropicalis, 100% and 100% for C. krusei, and 98% and 95.7% for C. glabrata. Regarding these results, CHROMagar Candida is recommended as a useful isolation medium capable of the presumptive identification of yeasts and better detection of mixed cultures in clinical specimens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein profiles of sonicated cells for 9 species of yeasts isolated from oral samples were obtained by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), and visualized with a silver stain. The profiles obtained on 12% acrylamide gels we re distinct, and characteristic for 6 species of Candida, and Torulopsis glabrata, Yarrowia lipolytica, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Using this method, 79 fresh isolates of yeasts from saliva samples were identified; 58 as Candida albicans, 9 as Candida parapsilosis, 1 as Candida tropicalis, and 11 as T. glabrata. SDS-PAGE offers a rapid, convenient alternative or adjunct to yeast identification systems based on carbohydrate assimilation tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]