A NOVEL TECHNIQUE FOR ASSESSMENT OF ADHERENCE OF CANDIDA-ALBICANS TO SOLID-SURFACES

A novel approach for the assessment of adherence of Candida albicans t o translucent acrylic material is described. The method uses the inver ted microscope to visualise yeast adhering to acrylic surfaces while t he rest material remains immersed in buffer. Adherent cells were not s ubjected to surface tension forces that can occur during drying proces ses, so that an even distribution of yeast with no aggregation occurre d. The process of counting attached yeast was subsequently performed w ithout difficulty. From the 11 C albicans isolates examined, two group s were evident with respect to acrylic adherence: one group of four is olates with an adherence level of 400 yeast/mm(3) acrylic, and one gro up of seven isolates with adherence levels of 1000 yeast/mm(2) acrylic .