Analysis of the ALS1 and HWP1 genes from clinical isolates of Candida albicans / Análise de genes ALS1 e HWP1 em isolados clínicos de Candida albicans

Candida albicans has several virulence factors including the adhesins, which are codified for ALS1 and HWP1 genes. Here, we evaluate the frequency of those genes in clinical isolates of C. albicans . We analyzed 73 clinical isolates, including 19 vaginal and 53 oral samples. PCR approach was used to detect the genes. The presence of the ALS1 gene was identified in 26.39% of all strains, while the HWP1 gene was present in 56.94%. The ALS1 gene was predominant between vaginal samples and HWP1 was more abundant in the oral samples. These results suggest distinct virulence profiles from C. albicans related to different sites of infection and colonization.