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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, January 2003, p. 73-77, Vol. 41, No. 1
0095-1137/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JCM.41.1.73-77.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Serotyping of 467 Cryptococcus neoformans Isolates from Clinical and Environmental Sources in Brazil: Analysis of Host and Regional Patterns

Marília M. Nishikawa,1* Márcia S. Lazera,2 Glaucia G. Barbosa,1 Luciana Trilles,2 Beatriz R. Balassiano,1 Regina C. L. Macedo,2 Cláudia C. F. Bezerra,2 Maurício A. Pérez,3 Paola Cardarelli,4 and Bodo Wanke2

Fungal Section,1 Molecular Biology Section, National Institute for Quality Control in Health, INCQS/FIOCRUZ,4 Mycology Service, Evandro Chagas Institute of Clinical Research, IPEC/FIOCRUZ,2 Center of Community Health Studies, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil3

Received 19 June 2002/ Returned for modification 8 August 2002/ Accepted 27 September 2002

Cryptococcus neoformans is an important zoopathogen, and it is one of the most prevalent lethal mycotic agents. Its polysaccharide capsule, synthesized in vivo and in vitro, is a virulence factor, contains predominantly glucuronoxylomannan, and is responsible for the antigenic differentiation of serotypes A, B, C, D, and AD. A total of 467 isolates of C. neoformans obtained from clinical and environmental sources from Brazilian regions were studied serologically by using the Crypto Check Iatron RM 304-K kit. Serotyping of the clinical isolates showed the following prevalences of the serotypes: A (77.95%), followed by B (18.2%), AD (1.3%), D (0.4%), C (0.2%), and untypeable (1.93%). The epidemiology of serotype A in the Brazilian southern and southeastern regions reproduces the picture observed worldwide. In contrast, serotype B was the most frequent agent of cryptococcosis in the northeastern region, occurring nearly equally in male and female healthy hosts. Among the isolates from environmental sources, serotypes A and B were found to occur in the hollows of tropical trees of the genera Cassia, Ficus, and Moquillea. The few isolates from Eucalyptus camaldulensis debris were serotypes A and B and untypeable. Overall, no association with a specific host tree was identified for these serotypes, denoting a distinct ecoepidemiological regional pattern. The one serotype C isolate was recovered from a human immunodeficiency virus-negative host. Serotype AD predominated over serotype D among both clinical and environmental isolates.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Departamento de Microbiologia do INCQS, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-FIOCRUZ, Avenida Brasil 4365, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21045-900 Brazil. Phone: 55-21-25731072. Fax: 55-21-22900915. E-mail: marilia{at}alpha.incqs.fiocruz.br.

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, January 2003, p. 73-77, Vol. 41, No. 1
0095-1137/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JCM.41.1.73-77.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



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