Determinación de la Variedad de Cepas de Cryptococcus Neoformans aisladas de pacientes con SIDA

Cryptococcus neoformans has two varieties: neoformans and gattii. The first one affects mainly immunosup- pressed patients and the latter causes neurological lesions. Differential biochemical tests are not performed in Peru, so this study was able to standardize a typification method among C. neoformans strain varieties from clinical origin that were maintained at the National Institute of Health (INS) of Peru. Between April 1997 and December 1998, INS received 18 C. neoformans strains isolated from AIDS patients. Confirmation of the species was performed according to conventional methods: encapsulated yeast observation, urease test, carbohydrate assimilation and temperature toleration. Additionally, the absence of the nitrate reductase enzyme was verified and the modified fenoloxidase test was performed, too. All 18 strains were typified as neoformans by means of CGB. No gattii strains were found.