Molecular identification of SAP9, SAP10 genes with virulence factors and antifungal susceptibility profile among Candida species isolated from women with urinary tract infections

Background. In recent years, there has been a rise in the occurrence of urinary tract infections (UTIs) caused by Candida pathogens. This increase is attributed to the growing resistance of these pathogens to antifungal drugs often used for their treatment. Many virulence factors encoded by virulent genes, which enable opportunistic Candida to invade host tissues and cause infection, for survey the existence of SAP9 andSAP10 genes with determine some virulence factors and antifungal susceptibility profiles among Candida species isolated from women suffering from urinary tract infections. Methods. For this investigation, urine specimens were gathered from female individuals residing in Thi-Qar Province, located in southern Iraq, over the period spanning from December 2022 to March 2023. The identification of all isolates was performed using several laboratory techniques, including assessment of colony characteristics on culture media, Gramme staining, germ tube formation, and analysis of morphological chromatic features on chromogenic agar. The identification was further validated using PCR analysis. All isolates were assessed for their production of extracellular secretory proteinase and hemolysin. Additionally, they were tested for antifungal activity using the disc diffusion method. The DNA was isolated, and the PCR technique was employed to identify the presence of virulence genes (SAP9 and SAP10). Results. A total of 50 Candida species isolates were collected from 150 urine samples. These isolates belonged to four different species within the Candida genus. The most found species was C. albicans, accounting for 54% of the isolates. This was followed by C. krusei at 24%, C. glabrata at 16%, and C. tropicalis at 6%. Proteinase activity was observed in 84% of Candida isolates. All Candida isolates exhibit positive hemolysin production with varying degrees of intensity. Among Candida species showed high resistance to Itraconazole (86%) and Clotrimazole (76%). The prevalence of SAP9 and SAP10 genes among Candida albicans was 62.69% and 100%, respectively. Conclusions. The present study highlights the prevalence of SAP genes and virulence factors with antifungal susceptibility which reflect high pathogenicity of Candida species.