Study of Some Virulence Factors of Candida albicans Causing Intestinal Infection

The incidence of systemic candidiasis which is caused by Candida albicans has increased so the present study sheds light on detecting some virulence factors of Candida albicans like production of phospholipases and proteinases, besides the adherence on epithelial cells (from human mouth) and drug tolerance were concerned. Proteinase enzyme was produced by 20 C. albicans isolates (47.62%) out of 42 isolates. On the other hand, 18 out of 42 (42.86%) isolates of C. albicans could produce the phospholipase enzyme. The ability of the isolates for attachment onto the surface of epithelial cells was studied and found that 39 isolates of C. albicans could adherence epithelial cells and 20 isolates recorded percentage 95- 98%. As the resistance to antifungals concerned, we found that 32 isolates of Candida were resistant to nystatin. Amphotericin B was the most effective against all isolates of Candida. Microscopic examination results of histological section taken from rats’ intestine tissues that artificially infected with C. albicans which included degeneration, necrosis, hemorrhage.