Adherence of Candida albicans to fibrin-clot matrices in a rat model for type 2 diabetes

Individuals with type 2 diabetes are at increased risk for the development of infective endocarditis and septic thrombosis. Adherence to fibrin clot matrices by Candida albicans is the initial step in initiation of the infective processes. Clots made from lean (Fa/fa) and obese (fa/fa) Zucker rat plasma were used to measure adherence of yeast grown at environmental temperature and human body temperature. Adherence to clots by C. albicans was influenced both by source of plasma and temperature of yeast growth. Amphotericin B was effective in diminishing the candidal binding to lean but not obese clots. The degree of fungal surface hydrophobicity did not correlate with adherence to clots. However, Candida adherence to clots from both lean and obese Zucker rats was inhibited by the pretreatment of cells with mannose. These findings indicate that treatment of thrombi-associated candidal infections with ergosterol-targeting drugs e.g., amphotericin B alone in hypercholesterolemic individuals may have decreased clinically efficacy.