PCR-MEDIATED GENOTYPING OF CANDIDA-ALBICANS STRAINS FROM BONE-MARROW TRANSPLANT PATIENTS

DNA amplification using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers aiming at eukaryotic or prokaryotic repetitive DNA motifs enables discrimina tion between individual Candida albicans isolates. This PCR-mediated D NA fingerprinting procedure was used to monitor yeast colonisation in immune-compromised leukaemia patients (n = 11) who were undergoing bon e marrow transplantation (BMT). The leukaemia patients remained coloni sed by the same strain throughout a 5 month study period, irrespective of intermediate treatment with fungostatics or application of BMT-rel ated therapies. All 11 strains could be identified separately by PCR f ingerprinting. This implies that spreading of C. albicans from patient to patient does not seem to occur in this study group, despite the fa ct that medical employees frequently travel between wards which are in close proximity to other departments harbouring neutropenic patients. Several of the patients (n = 35) were also monitored for C. albicans colonisation and strain typing corroborated the lack of extensive cros s-contamination during the study period. The application of PCR-mediat ed genotyping of fungi in epidemiological analyses and evaluation of h ospital hygiene is discussed.