KARYOTYPING OF CANDIDA-ALBICANS ISOLATES OBTAINED LONGITUDINALLY IN WOMEN WITH RECURRENT VULVO-VAGINAL CANDIDIASIS

Ten women with recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (RVVC) due to Candid a albicans were followed for a mean of 35.3 months, and 81 vaginal iso lates were evaluated by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis for strain de lineation. The initial strain of C. albicans isolated was unique to ea ch patient; in addition, in 8 women, only 1 strain type of C. albicans was identified throughout follow-up. In 1 patient, 3 strains of C. al bicans were identified over a 27-month period and in another, 2 strain s were recovered over a 30-month period. Two pairs of women shared ide ntical strains of C. albicans. These results confirm the enormous dive rsity of strain types of C. albicans and demonstrate the persistence o f colonization with the same strain over prolonged periods despite the rapy. Results also support the concept of recurrent vaginitis being du e to vaginal relapse or endogenous reinfection with the identical stra in.