Genotyping and Antifungal Susceptibility Profile of Dipodascus capitatusIsolates Causing Disseminated Infection in Seven Hematological Patients of a Tertiary Hospital

ABSTRACTSeven cases of disseminated infection due to Dipodascus capitatusare reported. Infections occurred in a hematological unit of a tertiary hospital during a period of 5 years. Five cases were refractory to antifungal therapy. Antifungal susceptibility testing of seven isolates was performed, and strains were typed by PCR fingerprinting with the core sequence of phage M13 and by random amplification of polymorphic DNA with two primers, Ap12h and W-80A. A very short range of MICs of each antifungal agent was observed. The MICs of amphotericin B ranged between 0.50 and 2 µg/ml. Strains were susceptible in vitro to flucytosine and susceptible (dose-dependent) to fluconazole and itraconazole. Voriconazole exhibited an activity in vitro comparable to that of itraconazole. Typing techniques allowed seven additional isolates of D. capitatusneither geographically nor temporally related to be classified into two different genomic patterns. The genomic type of the seven strains from the hematological unit was identical regardless of typing technique utilized. It would indicate that the seven cases of disseminated infection could be related epidemiologically.