DETECTION OF GLIOTOXIN IN CANDIDA ALBICANS ISOLATED FROM URINE OF ASYMPTOMATIC INDIVIDUALS

Abstract

Candida albicans is a commensal yeast but also an opportunistic pathogen. Gliotoxin, an
immunosuppressive and cytotoxic secondary metabolite historically linked to Aspergillus
fumigatus, has been detected in clinical isolates of C. albicans from symptomatic patients. However, its presence in isolates from asymptomatic individuals remains largely
unexplored. This study aimed to detect gliotoxin in C. albicans isolated from urine samples of
healthy, asymptomatic individuals. Two hundred urine samples from asymptomatic individuals
were cultured on Sabouraud Dextrose Agar. Fungal isolates were identified using macroscopic, microscopic, and molecular techniques. Gliotoxin was extracted using chloroform and detected
via thin-layer chromatography (TLC). Statistical analysis was performed using a one-sample ttest. Three C. albicans isolates (CAA48, CAG1, and CAC1920) were identified. Gliotoxin was
detected only in isolate CAA48, with a retention factor (Rf) of 0.96, which closely matched the
literature standard of 0.95. The remaining two isolates showed no detectable gliotoxin. The
difference between the Rf value of CAA48 and the literature standard was not statistically
significant (p > 0.05). Only one out of three C. albicans isolates from asymptomatic individuals
produced gliotoxin, suggesting that gliotoxin production is not universal among commensal
strains but may occur in a subset of isolates. This study provides the first evidence that gliotoxin- producing C. albicans can be carried by healthy, asymptomatic individuals, challenging the
assumption that gliotoxin production is solely associated with active infection.