Following these results, twenty-five blood isolates and twenty environmental isolates were selected to test these findings, and the studies were extended to eight C. orthopsilosis and four C. metapsilosis strains, for comparison. Figure 2 Macrophage death upon contact with the C. parapsilosis blood isolate 972697. To detect dead phagocytes, cells were incubated with 1 μg/ml of PI and visualized at 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12 hours of infection with a magnification see more of 200 ×.

Necrotic nuclei are presented in red. Images were obtained using fluorescent microscopy (c), bright-field microscopy (b) and the superposition of both (a). At each time point, dead macrophages without C. parapsilosis served as negative control (d). C. parapsilosis cell morphology in the absence of macrophages (e). Figure 3 Macrophage death upon contact with the C. parapsilosis environmental strain CarcC. To detect dead phagocytes, cells were incubated with 1 μg/ml of PI and visualized at 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12 hours of infection with a magnification of 200 ×. Images were obtained using fluorescent microscopy (c), bright-field microscopy (b) and the superposition of both (a). At each time point, dead macrophages without C. parapsilosis served as negative control

(d). C. parapsilosis cell morphology in the absence of macrophages (e). Candida parapsilosis environmental isolates are more cytotoxic to macrophages The release of LDH by macrophages was monitored after 12 hours of co-incubation using all the different strains analysed in this study (Table 1). Results showed MCC950 cell line that the percentage of cytotoxicity varied from 6.4% to 59.2%, revealing a great variability in strain ability to induce damage. Due

to this variability the isolates were grouped into two classes of cytotoxicity and it was observed that the great majority of environmental strains learn more exhibited cytotoxicity levels between 30.1 and 60.0%, while clinical isolates were mainly in the group presenting 1 to 30% cytotoxicity (Figure 4). Overall, the environmental isolates induced statistically CYTH4 significant (p < 0.0001) higher cell damage (average 37.6% ± 13.78) when compared with the clinical strains (22.9 ± 10.36). Regarding C. orthopsilosis and C. metapsilosis the average percentage of induced cytotoxicity was 19.3% (± 6.17) and 8.8% (± 1.05), respectively. Table 1 Species used in this study, their collection date, and origin   Species Isolate identification Geographical origin Collection date Product Environmental C. parapsilosis IPOA1 Portugal – Hospital 1 2007 Water tap nursery 23   C. parapsilosis IPOA2 Portugal – Hospital 1 2007 Bedside table no. 4 nursery 30   C. parapsilosis IPOA3 Portugal – Hospital 1 2007 Water tap nursery 24   C. parapsilosis IPOA14 Portugal – Hospital 1 2007 Treatment room   C. parapsilosis IPOA15 Portugal – Hospital 1 2007 Door knob Patients’ WC   C. parapsilosis IPOA20 Portugal – Hospital 1 2007 Air from individual room no.5   C.