Assessment of genetic relatedness of vaginal isolates of Candida albicans from different geographical origins

PCR fingerprinting with single non-specific primers was used to type vagina l isolates of C. albicans from Portugal, Angola, Madagascar, and two region s of Germany (Berlin and Munich). In addition to analysing isolates that ex hibited the normal biotype of C. albicans, the study included atypical stra ins that failed to assimilate glucosamine and N-acetylglucosamine, which we re isolated from women in Angola and Madagascar. A total of 212 strains of C. albicans were studied, representing 87 different multi-locus genotypes. The genotypes of strains from each geographical population were highly simi lar but not identical. There was one exception: a strain from Portugal grou ped with the typical strains from Angola. The typical and especially the at ypical populations from Africa displayed less genotype variation than the p opulations from Europe. The Portuguese samples exhibited the greatest genot ypic heterogeneity. Distance analysis (UPGMA) revealed a statistically weak correlation between genotype and geographical origin of the C. albicans is olates.