Role of FKS Mutations in Candida glabrata: MIC Values, Echinocandin Resistance, and Multidrug Resistance

Abstract

ABSTRACTCandida glabratais the second leading cause of candidemia in U.S. hospitals. Current guidelines suggest that an echinocandin be used as the primary therapy for the treatment ofC. glabratadisease due to the high rate of resistance to fluconazole. Recent case reports indicate thatC. glabrataresistance to echinocandins may be increasing. We performed susceptibility testing on 1,380 isolates ofC. glabratacollected between 2008 and 2013 from four U.S. cities, Atlanta, Baltimore, Knoxville, and Portland. Our analysis showed that 3.1%, 3.3%, and 3.6% of the isolates were resistant to anidulafungin, caspofungin, and micafungin, respectively. We screened 1,032 of these isolates, including all 77 that had either a resistant or intermediate MIC value with respect to at least one echinocandin, for mutations in the hot spot regions ofFKS1andFKS2, the major mechanism of echinocandin resistance. Fifty-one isolates were identified with hot spot mutations, 16 inFKS1and 35 inFKS2. All of the isolates with anFKSmutation except one were resistant to at least one echinocandin by susceptibility testing. Of the isolates resistant to at least one echinocandin, 36% were also resistant to fluconazole. Echinocandin resistance among U.S.C. glabrataisolates is a concern, especially in light of the fact that one-third of those isolates may be multidrug resistant. Further monitoring of U.S.C. glabrataisolates for echinocandin resistance is warranted.