Factores de virulencia y su efecto sobre la sensibilidad a los fármacos antifúngicos de Candida albicans causante de vulvovaginitis candidiásica recurrente

Candidal vulvovaginitis (CVV) is mainly caused by Candida albi-cans. The activities of phospholipases, proteases, hemolysins, and biofilms were evaluated as virulence factors in C. albicans causing recurrent CVV, and their effects on antifungal susceptibility were assessed to understand their influence on antifungal sensitivity. A total of 22 C. albicans strains isolated from patients with recurrent CVV who attended the Microbiology Department of the La Flo-resta Medical Institute, Caracas–Venezuela, from July 2023 to June 2024 were analyzed. Phospholipase, protease, and hemolysin activity, along with biofilm formation and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) susceptibility pro-files for fluconazole, voriconazole, and amphotericin B, were determined using the Vitek 2 Compact® assay with the AST-YSO1® card. All strains produced hemolysins; 77% exhibited phospholipase activity, and 27.3% expressed prote-ases. 82% were capable of forming biofilms. Resistance rates were 82% for flu-conazole and 73% for voriconazole; all strains were susceptible to amphotericin B. There was no statistically significant relationship between the three drugs tested and the virulence factors studied. Virulence factors are independent vari-ables in the antifungal susceptibility profile but participate in different stages of infection and are associated with the clinical presentation of CVV.