Cecylia Łukaszuk

Analysis of the incidence fungi in a crypt cemetery

The aim of this study was to analyze the incidence of fungi in the chapel crypt. The MAS 100 was used to monitor the air pollution. The lowest numbers of fungal colonies were isolated at the entrance to the cemetery (2400 CFU/m3). The outside temperature ranged from 24.5oC to 28.1oC, and relative humidity was between 35.3% and 46.4 %. The highest of fungal colonies from air samples at baseline were isolated inside the crypt when coffin was opened (4820 CFU/m3). The temperature in the crypt at baseline varied between 19.6°C and 25.6°C and humidity was between 50.8% and 60.1%. The number of fungal colonies increased significantly at the end of the study. Ten species of fungi were isolated from air samples inside and outside the chapel, and seven species of fungi were isolated on the surface of the exterior and interior of the chapel. Thirteen types/species of fungus were isolated from air samples collected in the crypt; 15 species of fungi were isolated on the walls, surface of the coffin, bones and other objects. Assessment of fungi in the air samples and different surfaces of the crypt, it revealed very high levels of molds in the air samples. Implications: Assessment of fungi in the air samples and different surfaces of the crypt revealed high levels of molds in the air samples. Fungal numbers within the crypt exceed recommended limits for occupational exposure. Employees working in the crypts should know about these hazards.

Retrospective observation of drug susceptibility of Candida strains in the years 1999, 2004, and 2015

Introduction There is much literature devoted to the problem of drug resistance and decreased susceptibility of fungi to commonly used antifungals. Aim To analyze drug susceptibility of Candida albicans and non-Candida albicans strains isolated from the hands of people without any symptoms of disease over a 16-year period. Materials and Methods The study included a total of 1,274 Candida-type strains isolated from the hands of people without any symptoms of disease, including: in 1999, 432 strains; in 2004, 368; and in 2015, 454 strains. Biological monitoring of hand surface contamination was performed using the Count-TactTM applicator with Count-Tact plates (bioMerieux). Drug susceptibility was evaluated using FUNGITEST®. Results In 1999, the most strains showed resistance to fluconazole (53.2%), in 2004 to itraconazole (52.9%), and in 2015 to fluconazole (85.8%). Resistance to more than one drug was 35.8% in 1999, 64.7% in 2004, and 92% in 2015. Mean resistance to azole antifungals significantly increased from 98 ± 39.7 strains in 1999 to 118.3 ± 29.6 in 2015 (p < 0.001). In 1999, the most strains showed resistance to fluconazole (50.6%), in 2004 to itraconazole (52.9%), and in 2015 to fluconazole (44.9%). Resistance to more than one drug was 52.9% in 1999, 64.3% in 2004, and 88.1% in 2015. Mean resistance to azole antifungals significantly increased from a mean of 76 ± 9.7 strains in 1999, to 95.3 ± 24.2 in 2004, and to 97.3 ± 16.6 in 2015 (p < 0.001). Conclusions We showed increased C. albicans and non-Candida albicans strain resistance to commonly used antifungal chemotherapeutics, mainly imidazole. We found a clear rise in susceptibility of C. albicans and non-Candida albicans strains to several studied antifungals.

Enzymatic activity and biotypes of Candida fungi isolated from the surfaces of mobile phones and hands

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Introduction: The secretion of hydrolytic enzymes is a factor facilitating pathogenic fungi invasion into the tissues. Purpose: To assess hydrolytic activity and biotypes of Candida strains isolated from samples collected from the surfaces of mobile phones and the hands of their owners. Materials and methods: The study included 175 mobile telephones and hands. The API ZYM test was used to assess enzymatic activity; biotyping was performed according to Williamson’s classification. Results: Among the strains isolated from hand surfaces, the highest activity was shown for C. albicans (acid phosphatase, esterase), C. glabrata (leucine arylamidase, acid phosphatase, esterase), and C. krusei (acid phosphatase). Of the strains isolated from phone surfaces, the highest activity was shown for C. albicans (leucine arylamidase, acid phosphatase), C. glabrata (esterase, leucine arylamidase, esterase lipase), and C. krusei (acid phosphatase). Biotypes G, B and F were dominant for all types of fungi, both for strains isolated from phones and hand surfaces. Additionally, biotype A was dominant for C. krusei. Conclusions: C. albicans, C. glabrata, and C. krusei showed activity for all hydrolytic enzymes. The strongest correlation between the hydrolytic activity of fungi isolated from hand and phone surfaces was shown for C. albicans.

Drug susceptibility of Candida isolated from the surfaces of mobile phones and hands

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Introduction: The mycological literature currently devotes much attention to the issue of reduced fungal susceptibility to commonly used antifungal drugs. Purpose: To assess drug susceptibility of Candida strains isolated from samples collected from the surfaces of mobile phones and the hands of their owners. A total of 175 mobile telephones belonging to students and lecturers of the Medical University of Bialystok and University Hospital personnel as well as 175 hands of these phone owners were included in the mycological evaluation. Results: The rate of Candida contamination of personal mobile phones was more than 70.0%. C. glabrata strains were primarily isolated from the collected material (89.1% hands; 74.9% mobile phones). C. albicans strains showed susceptibility to most antimycotics, with the highest susceptibility to 5-fluorocytosine, and the lowest to fluconazole. C. glabrata showed the lowest susceptibility to fluconazole and miconazole, and the highest to ketoconazole. C. krusei were relatively very sensitive to antibiotics, except for fluconazole. None of the isolated strains showed resistance to more than three types of drugs. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that mobile phones are potentially vehicles for pathogenic Candida strains in a university and hospital settings.

Drug susceptibility and enzymatic activity of Candida isolated from mobile phone and hand surfaces

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Introduction: Evaluation of the susceptibility of isolated fungi as well as the type and activity of enzymes they release allows determining their pathogenicity. Purpose: To assess potential correlations between drug susceptibility and enzymatic activity of strains isolated from mobile phone and hand surfaces Materials and methods: The mycological evaluation included 175 mobile phones and 175 hands of the phone owners. Drug susceptibility was assessed using the FUNGITEST; enzymatic activity was evaluated using the API ZYM test. Results: We found significant correlations between increased resistance to 5-fluorocytosine, ketoconazole, fluconazole and higher activity of six selected enzymes for Candida glabrata strains isolated from hand surfaces. We also found significant correlations between increased resistance to 5-fluorocytosine, ketoconazole, miconazole, itraconazole and higher activity of six selected enzymes for Candida albicans strains isolated from hand surfaces. We found significant correlations between increased resistance to 5fluorocytosine, ketoconazole, itraconazole, fluconazole and higher activity of six selected enzymes for Candida krusei strains isolated from hand surfaces as well as an increased resistance to 5-fluorocytosine, ketoconazole, itraconazole, fluconazole and higher activity of five selected enzymes for strains isolated from phone surfaces. Conclusions: We found varying correlations between enzymatic activity and drug resistance depending on the site of isolation and the species/genus of fungi. The drugs to which the evaluated strains showed resistance were the same for hand and mobile phone isolates.

In vitro anti-Candida albicans activity of new thiatriazole derivative agents

__________________________________________________________________________________________ Purpose: We tested the antifungal activity of N,Nphenyl-1,2,3,4-thiatriazole-5-yl-2,4-b-resorcylcarbothioamide (PTR) ; n-3-(1,2,4-dithiazole-5thione)--resorcylcarbothioamide (DTRTA) ; N,Nphenyl-1,2,3,4-thiatriazol-5-yl-2,4-b-resorcylcarbothioamide (PHARA) against Candida albicans strains in vitro. Materials and methods: We synthesized PTR, DTRTA and PHARA at the Department of Chemistry, University of Agriculture in Lublin. We tested the selected three samples with the lowest value of MIC PTR, DTRTA and PHARA. A reference strain of C. albicans ATCC 10231 and 250 strains of C. albicans isolated from patients were used. Enzymatic activity of the yeast-like fungi was performed by API ZYM test (bioMériux). Results: The mean MIC C. albicans ATCC 10231 on Sabouraud’s Medium was 12.5 mg/L, and YNB Medium and RPMI medium 6.25 mg/L. The mean MIC C. albicans on Sabouraud’s Medium exposure to PTR 19.77 mg/L; exposure to DTRTA 21.06 mg/L, exposure to PHARA 21.54 mg/L; on YNB Medium exposure to PTR 17.79 mg/L, exposure to DTRTA 16.23 mg/l, exposure to PHARA 18.92 mg/L; and RPMI Medium exposure to PTR 12.73 mg/L, exposure to DTRTA -10.93 mg/l, exposure to PHARA 10.65 mg/L. The reference C. albicans strain ATCC 10231 had 5 enzymes inhibited – exposure to PTR inhibited the enzymatic activity of 13 enzymes, exposure to DTRTA inhibited the enzymatic activity of 10 enzymes, and exposure to PHARA inhibited the enzymatic activity of 13 enzymes. The C. albicans isolates had 3 enzymes inhibited after exposure to PTR 5 enzymes were inhibited, exposure to DTRTA 9 enzymes were inhibited, and exposure to PHARA 4 enzymes were inhibited. Conclusion: The synthesized compounds PTR, DTRA and PHARA exert a moderate antifungal activity against C. albicans strains in vitro.

Comparison of the Results of Studies of Air Pollution Fungi Using the SAS Super 100, MAS 100, and Air IDEAL

Although several air sampling devices for identifying and enumerating airborne microorganisms are commercially available, each poses some limitations. The aim of this study was to evaluate air pollution fungi using three such samplers: SAS Super 100, Microbiological Air Sampler (MAS) 100, and Air IDEAL. Mycological air was taken from the cellars of a 17th-century church in Siemiatycze, Poland, and the nearby outdoor environment. With samplers placed 1.5 m above the floor, microbial flora in air samples collected inside and outside the cellar were detected. The number of colony-forming units (CFU) of fungi obtained with the three samplers from the cellars and outdoor environment differed; the most CFU were obtained with the Air IDEAL and the least with the SAS Super 100. Significant differences emerged in CFUs collected from air samples with the MAS 100 and SAS Super 100, on the one hand, and the SAS Super 100 and Air IDEAL, on the other. Otherwise, results among the samplers were different. More Cladosporium species were collected with the MAS 100 sampler, whereas more Fusarium and Aspergillus species were collected with the Air IDEAL sampler. Significant differences among CFU/m3 values among the tested sites depended on the sampler used.

Mobile phone owners' health behaviors

_________________________________________________________________________________________ Introduction: The consistently growing number of mobile phone users has contributed to increasing interest in the effects of mobile phones on human health. Purpose: To assess the preferred health behaviors of mobile phone users. Materials and methods: The study included 175 mobile phone users and used standardized tools, such as the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control (MHLC) scale and the Health Behavior Inventory (HBI). Results: Most respondents had an impact on their own health (avg. 26.9 points). Respondents showed the highest level of health behaviors in relation to attitude, whereas the lowest level towards health practices. We distinguished three groups in the study population: with high (14.9%), low (47.4%), and average (37.7%) levels of health behaviors. We cannot unequivocally state that there is a statistically significant correlation between the occurrence of certain fungal genera/species on mobile phone and hand surfaces and the health locus of control. Conclusions: The respondents themselves mainly had an impact on their own health, and those in favor of this opinion attached greater importance to washing their hands. Respondents showed the highest level of health behaviors in relation to mental attitude, whereas the lowest level towards preferred health practices. Almost half of the respondents showed low levels of health behaviors, whereas almost every seventh respondent had high levels of health behaviors. No significant relationship was shown between the preferred health behaviors and the frequency of washing hands, the number of colonies and the isolation frequency of fungal strains collected from the surfaces of mobile phones and the hands of their owners.