Resumo

Introduction: Candida spp. are opportunists pathogens that can cause disease in hosts who are compromised by underlying local or systemic pathological processes. Candida albicans is the specie most often found and associated with oral lesions, but other species including C. krusei, C. glabrata, and C. tropicalis can be isolated in the saliva of subjects with and without oral candidiasis. Several factors have been proposed as virulence factors of Candida spp. such as phospholipases, proteinases and haemolysin activity. Objective: This study aimed to identify and evaluated some virulence factors of Candida spp. isolated from oral cavity and investigated the relationship with different environmental conditions. Materials/Methods: 10 strains of Candida spp. isolated from oral cavity from healthy individuals were inoculated on plates with Sabouraud agar for 24 hours. The colonies grown on the agar plate were stored in glycerol stock at -20ºC and identificated by PCR. All isolates were tested in triplicate by the agar plate method to verify the enzymatic activity of proteinases, phospholipases and haemolysin. An inoculum was prepared containing 10μL of ¹⁰⁸ cells / mL placed in culture medium supplemented with fresh sheep blood and 7% glucose. The plates were incubated at 37 ° C in 5% CO2 and aerobic condition for 48 hours and analyzed for the type of hemolysis, β - hemolysis (total), α - hemolysis (partial) or γ - hemolysis (not produce hemolysis). To assess the production of proteinase and phospholipase, the same amount of inoculum was deposited on plates with Sabouraud medium supplemented with BSA (Bovine Serum Albumin), and the culture medium was supplemented with Egg Yolk, respectively. Results: 80% of the isolates were identified by PCR as C. albicans and 20% as C. krusei. All isolates were able to produce β – hemolysis and 90% of the isolates were positive Proteinase and 80% phospholipase positive. No difference between the CO2 and aerobic conditions for the isolated in relation enzyme production.Conclusion: The concentration of oxygen in the environment does not influenced the virulence factors of these isolated.