Candida and Candidiasis.Richard A. Calderone, editor American Society for Microbiology Press, Washington, 2001; 472 pages. Yeast of the genus Candida Candida /Can·di·da/ (kan´di-dah) a genus of yeastlike fungi that are commonly part of the normal flora of the mouth, skin, intestinal tract, and vagina, but can cause a variety of infections (see candidiasis acute pseudomembranous candidiasis thrush. atrophic candidiasis a type of oral candidiasis marked by erythematous pebbled patches on the hard or soft palate, buccal mucosa, and dorsal surface of the tongue. bronchopulmonary candidiasis bronchocandidiasis; that found in the respiratory tract. ). C. al´bicans is the usual pathogen. have exploded into prominence in recent years as opportunistic and nosocomial 1. Of or relating to a hospital. 2. Of or being a secondary disorder associated with being treated in a hospital but unrelated to the patient's primary condition. A total of 28 chapters cover the general properties, virulence virulence /vir·u·lence/ (vir´u-lens) the degree of pathogenicity of a microorganism as indicated by the severity of disease produced and the ability to invade the tissues of the host; by extension, the competence of any infectious agent to produce pathologic effects. factors, cell biology, immunity, genomics, diseases, and laboratory aspects of Candida species, with particular emphasis on its most prominent member, Candida albicans al·bi·can·ti·a (  l b -kn. The strongest chapters are those covering research aspects of these organisms. Complex subjects like the chemistry of the cell wall, host recognition and adherence, the cell biology of the yeast-hyphal transformation, and extracellular extracellular /ex·tra·cel·lu·lar/ (-sel´u-lar) outside a cell or cells.ex·tra·cel·lu·lar (  kstr hydrolases hydrolase /hy·dro·lase/ (hi´dro-las) one of the six main classes of enzymes, comprising those that catalyze the hydrolytic cleavage of a compound.hy·dro·lase (h  as virulence factors in C. albicans are well summarized with clear, useful graphics and current references. The book is beautifully laid out, with a series of color plates that help describe phenotype 1. The observable physical or biochemical characteristics of an organism, as determined by both genetic makeup and environmental influences. 2. The expression of a specific trait, such as stature or blood type, based on genetic and environmental influences. 3. An individual or group of organisms exhibiting a particular phenotype. switch variants and chromosome maps. The clinical chapters appear rather superficial for an infectious diseases clinician but may be useful to a student seeking basic material. The chapter on identification and subtyping subtyping - subtype contains information available in other sources for less than the cost of this book. A discussion of current practices in antifungal susceptibility testing of Candida species would have been helpful. Chapters 2 and 4 contain repetitious material, including photographs of C. dubliniensis. A consolidated chapter on the epidemiology of Candida infections should be considered for the next edition. The chapters covering the cell biology are most useful, either as a comprehensive overview or as a reference text for researchers and students interested in the biology of these organisms. Mary E. Brandt Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA |
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