Abstract

LOPEZ-AVILA, Karina et al. Mechanisms of antifungal resistance of azoles in Candida albicans. A review. Rev. biomédica [online]. 2016, vol.27, n.3, pp.127-136. ISSN 2007-8447.  https://doi.org/10.32776/revbiomed.v27i3.541.

Candida albicans is a commensal yeast capable of causing an opportunistic infection called candidiasis in susceptible hosts. Treatment to combat Candida may be topical or systemic according to the type of infection and the imidazole derivatives (fluconazole, itraconazole, ketoconazole, miconazole, etc.) are the antifungals most widely used. However, resistance to these drugs is observed by a decrement in their effectiveness. This is mainly due to the emergence of resistant yeasts and of new pathogenic species, as well as to the irrational prescribing of antifungal prophylaxis and the use of higher therapeutic doses. There are two mechanisms by which Candida can acquire an azole resistance, the first is by molecular mutations of antifungal target enzyme, as the alteration of enzymes related to the synthesis of ergosterols and the second by change in the efflux pumps, such as those of ATP-binding cassette and the higher facilitators. In this work the main mechanisms of resistance to Candida and the importance of performing susceptibility tests in order to provide an adequate treatment for this type of opportunistic infections are summarized.

Keywords : Candida; antifungal resistance; mechanisms of resistance.

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