ANTIGENIC STUDIES OF CANDIDA

Abstract

Hasenclever, H. F. (U. S. Public Health Service, Bethesda, Md.), and William O. Mitchell. Antigenic studies of Candida. III. Comparative pathogenicity of Candida albicans group A, group B, and Candida stellatoidea. J. Bacteriol. 82:578–581. 1961.—Since the antigenic differences between Candida albicans group A and C. albicans group B had been established, the problem of a difference in pathogenicity for laboratory animals was studied. Candida stellatoidea was also included in this investigation. Similar experiments with Candida tropicalis have been reported. The virulence of 24 strains of C. albicans group A, 23 strains of C. albicans group B, and 11 strains of C. stellatoidea for mice was determined. Five C. albicans group B and four C. stellatoidea strains were tested for lethality in rabbits. C. albicans group A and C. albicans group B displayed about the same degree of virulence for mice. Although C. stellatoidea in general showed less virulence for mice than C. albicans, some of its strains were more virulent than the least virulent C. albicans strains. All five C. albicans group B strains tested in rabbits demonstrated considerably more virulence for this laboratory animal than any of the four C. stellatoidea strains tested. C. albicans group B was isolated from more diverse clinical specimens than C. albicans group A, but only a small number of specimens were studied.