Identification of candida species using HiChrome agar in HIV-seropositive patients with oral candidiasis

Objectives: Candidiasis is one of the most common fungal infections affecting the oral cavity in HIV‑seropositive patients. Various Candida species, (both albicans as well as non‑albicans) are identified as the causative organisms. These species are identified by various methods. Chromogenic media are frequently used in direct and rapid identification of yeasts as different Candida species produce different colors on these media. Difference in expression of putative virulence factors and antifungal susceptibility pattern among different Candida species has raised the need for species–level identification. This study aims at identifying various Candida species using HiChrom agar in HIV‑seropositive patients in different clinical variants of oral candidiasis. Materials and Methods: Swabs were collected from 30 HIV‑seropositive patients with oral candidiasis. HiChrome agar was used to identify the Candida species. Results: Based on the color of the colonies on HiChrom agar we found that 46.6% (n = 14) patients showed a combination of light green and purple color colonies of C. albicans and C. tropicalis, 16.6% (n = 5) cases showed light green colonies of C. albicans, 13.3% (n = 4) cases produced dark green colonies of C. dublienisis, 10% (n = 3) cases produced pink color colonies of C. glabrata, 6.6% (n = 2) produced off white colonies of C. parapsilosis, 3.3% (n = 1) produced deep blue colonies of C. tropicalis and 3.3% (n = 1) cases showed combination of off white and purple color colonies of C. parapsilosis and C. tropicalis. C. albicans as well as mixed Candida species were commonly seen in pseudomembranous oral candidiasis. Conclusions: Identification of these species is important to target the specific drug for treatment.