Short Communication Open Access

Genital Candida in Patients with Sexually Transmitted Infections – An Innocent Bystander or a Pathogenic Culprit?.

Abstract

The presence of one STI increases the risk of having concomitant and co-transmission of other STI. An evolving trend of Candida infections in STI patients, showing a transition from harmless colonizers to unrelenting pathogens, is a fine line attributable to extensive repertoire of virulence determinants. The present study was carried out to identify the genital Candida flora prevalent in patients attending sexually transmitted disease (STD) Clinic and to determine the haemolysin and phospholipase activity amongst these isolates. Further, correlation of species of infecting/ prevalent Candida with the co-existing STI was done. A total of 75 consecutive male and female patients, presenting with one or more of the complaints as enunciated by World Health Organization (WHO) in the Syndromic Approach for the diagnosis of STIs, were included in the study. Candida was isolated in significantly higher numbers from patients presenting with discharge (47%) followed by balanitis (30%), and genital ulcer (23%). C. albicans (73%) was predominant isolate in various STIs. Hemolysin index and phospholipase activity of C. albicans was found significantly higher enhancing their pathogenic potential. The study suggests the role of genital inflammation by Candida as a significant cofactor in STI acquisition and existence of genital Candida as colonizer or pathogen. The study provides a rational basis for empirical therapy in STI patients.

Ritika Goyal, Shukla Das, Sambit N Bhattacharya and Ashwani Kumar

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