ABSTRACT
A.G.Palma-Carlos/M.Laura Palma-Carlos I Clinica Médica Universitária e Centro de Hematologia e Imunologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Lisboa, Portugal
1INTRODUCTION
The term Candidiasis is used to refer to the diseases caused by fungi of the genus Candida, a common saprophyte in the human gastrointestinal tract and elsewhere (Benett 2001; Ellis 1994). Until recently, Candida infection was thought to be caused mainly by Candida albicans, however, in the last few years other Candida species, such as C. parapsilosis, C. tropicalis and C. krusei, have been found to be important causes of disease. These species can be important pathogens in immunodepressed patients. Candida glabrata (syn. Torulopsis glabrata) causes the same spectrum of diseases (Benett 2001). Candida species, particularly C. albicans, colonize the human gastrointestinal, respiratory and reproductive tracts, skin, and nails. C. albicans is a constituent of the normal oral and gut flora of most healthy people although the carriage rate varies substantially in relation to the methods used to detect it. Carriage is highest in immunodepressed, diabetic or hospitalized patients. Since Candida comprises a highly heterogeneous group of yeasts and some species such as C. parapsilosis are a mixture of genetically different organisms; different immunopathogenic mechanisms can be involved in infections by different species (Ashman 1998; Ellis 1994; Lehman 1993; Shoham and Levitz 2000).
