Determination of minimum inhibitory concentrations of Candida species isolated from vaginal swab specimens by using broth macrodilution and E-test

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the utility of the E-test in determining the antifungal susceptibility of Candida species. A total of 50 Candida strains, including 34 Candida albicans and 16 non-albicans were isolated from vaginal swab specimens from women suffering from vaginitis. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of amphotericin B, fluconazole and ketoconazole were detected by using broth macrodilution and the E-test. When the results of the two tests were compared, the MIC values were considered acceptable if the difference between the two assays was no more than two-fold (+/-1 dilution). The acceptable rates were: 84% for amphotericin B, 97% for fluconazole and 78% for ketoconazole. Finally, MICs of C. albicans against the tested antifungal agents were generally lower than for non-albicans strains. These results suggest that the E-test can be used for the determination of MIC values for Candida species isolates.