[Molecular characterization of Cryptococcus neoformans isolates from HIV patients, Guayaquil, Ecuador].

INTRODUCTION: Neurocryptococcosis is an opportunistic fungal infection that represents a high cost in human lives and for the economy of countries. Its causative agent, the Cryptococcus neoformans/Cryptococcus gattii species complex, has a sexual and an asexual phase, four major serotypes and seven molecular varieties with phenotypic, clinical-epidemiological and antifungal susceptibility differences.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize by molecular methods clinical isolates of C. neoformans from Guayaquil, Ecuador.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We determined mating types, serotypes and molecular varieties by PCR and RFLP in 27 yeast isolates previously identified as C. neoformans by conventional methods. The isolates were recovered from cerebrospinal fluid of HIV seropositive patients with neurological syndrome admitted at "Dr. José Daniel Rodríguez Maridueña" Hospital from December, 2013, to January, 2015.

RESULTS: We established a wide prevalence of C. neoformans serotype A, MATα and genotype VNI among the studied isolates.

CONCLUSIONS: These data are similar to those obtained in other countries and the first identified by molecular characterization in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Therefore, they constitute an important contribution to the knowledge on cryptococcosis in this country.