Neutrophil phagocytosis in AIDS patients with azole resistant candidiasis.

OBJECTIVE AND SUBJECTS: This study aimed to evaluate phagocytosis of C. albicans by neutrophils in 10 AIDS patients and 50 control subjects. Five of the AIDS patients were colonised with azole-resistant C. albicans isolates and five with azole-sensitive isolates.

RESULTS AND

CONCLUSIONS

Percentage phagocytosis was within normal limits for seven of the 10 AIDS patients and was reduced in the remaining three patients. Phagocytosis was unaffected by the carriage of azole resistant C. albicans, and the patients' own strains were phagocytosed as readily as a standard strain of C. albicans. This study suggests that azole resistance is not related to impaired phagocytosis in AIDS patients.