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© 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

Research on the microbiota–gut–brain axis in autism has primarily focused on bacteria, with limited attention to fungi. There is a growing interest in understanding the involvement of fungi, particularly Candida, in patients with autism spectrum disorder. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence, antifungal susceptibility profiles and virulence factors of Candida isolates from the guts of Tunisian children with autism. Twenty-eight children with autism and forty-six controls were enrolled. Candida isolates from the faecal samples were identified using biochemical and molecular methods; antifungal susceptibility testing was determined by the EUCAST broth microdilution method and virulence factors, including biofilm formation, cell surface hydrophobicity and phospholipase and proteinase activities, were assessed in vitro. As a result, Candida was detected in 13 children with autism (46.4%) and 14 control children (30.4%). Candida albicans was found to be the most common species isolate in the faeces of both groups of children. Antifungal susceptibility profiles showed that one Candida isolate was resistant to amphotericin B and anidulafungin (3.7%), six were resistant to micafungin (22.2%) and five were resistant to fluconazole (18.5%). All Candida isolates were biofilm producers. Of the twenty-seven isolates, only four showed phospholipase activity (14.8%), eight showed aspartyl-proteinase activity (29.6%) and nine were hydrophobic (33.3%). These results highlight the presence of Candida in the guts of children with autism, as well as the ability to express multiple virulence factors and the antifungal resistance, and they emphasize the need for further studies to confirm intestinal Candida colonization and its potential role in autism.

Details

Title
Characterization of Yeast Isolated from the Gut Microbiota of Tunisian Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Author
Chamtouri, Mariem 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Merghni, Abderrahmen 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Miranda-Cadena, Katherine 3   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Sakly, Nabil 4   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Gaddour, Naoufel 5   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Clara G de Los Reyes-Gavilán 6   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Mastouri, Maha 7   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Eraso, Elena 3   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Quindós, Guillermo 3   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

 Department of Microbiology and Biochemistry of Dairy Products, Instituto de Productos Lácteos de Asturias (IPLA-CSIC), 33300 Villaviciosa, Spain; [email protected] (M.C.); [email protected] (C.G.d.L.R.-G.); Laboratory of Transmissible Diseases and Biologically Active Substances LR99ES27, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Monastir, Monastir 5000, Tunisia; [email protected] 
 Laboratory of Antimicrobial Resistance LR99ES09, Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis 1068, Tunisia; [email protected] 
 Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU, 48080 Bilbao, Spain; [email protected] (K.M.-C.); [email protected] (G.Q.) 
 Laboratory of Medical and Molecular Parasitology-Mycology (code LR12ES08), Department of Clinical Biology B, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Monastir, Monastir 5000, Tunisia; [email protected] 
 Unit of Child Psychiatry, Monastir University Hospital, Monastir 5000, Tunisia; [email protected] 
 Department of Microbiology and Biochemistry of Dairy Products, Instituto de Productos Lácteos de Asturias (IPLA-CSIC), 33300 Villaviciosa, Spain; [email protected] (M.C.); [email protected] (C.G.d.L.R.-G.); Diet, Microbiota and Health Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), 33011 Oviedo, Spain 
 Laboratory of Transmissible Diseases and Biologically Active Substances LR99ES27, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Monastir, Monastir 5000, Tunisia; [email protected] 
First page
730
Publication year
2024
Publication date
2024
Publisher
MDPI AG
e-ISSN
2309608X
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
3133062284
Copyright
© 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.