Molecular characterisation of the causative agents of Cryptococcosis in patients of a tertiary healthcare facility in the state of Amazonas-Brazil.

As there are four major molecular types of Cryptococcus neoformans (VNI, VNII, VNIII and VNIV) and four molecular types of Cryptococcus gattii (VGI, VGII, VGIII and VGIV), it is important to identify the specific groups causing cryptococcosis in different geographical regions. Here, we investigated the molecular types of 57 cryptococcal isolates from patients in a tertiary care hospital in the state of Amazonas, Brazil, between 2006 and 2010. The isolates were characterised by PCR fingerprinting using the M13 minisatellite and confirmed by URA5-RFLP analysis, and the presence of specific genes from the mating type locus (MATα and MATa) of these species was analysed by PCR. Most of the patients were male (66.7%), between 16 and 30 years of age (51.7%), and HIV-positive (75.0%). Most isolates were collected from cerebrospinal fluid samples (71.7%). Most of the C. neoformans isolates (n=40) were characterised as members of the VNI molecular group (n=39), a unique isolate was characterised as VNII whereas all isolates of C. gattii (n=17) were members of the VGII molecular group. With regard to mating types, 55 isolates were type 'α', and only two were type 'a'. This study revealed the prevalence of the VNI molecular group and provides the first reported observation of the VNII molecular group in the northern region of Brazil.