Mycobiota Conjunctival Investigation in Diabetics Who Reside in Urban Area From São Paulo, Brasil

Abstract

Abstract: : Purpose: To determine the conjunctival mycobiota of diabetic patients. Methods: this is a prospective non-randomized study, including 803(80.3%) diabetic patients and 197(19.7%) non-diabetic patients. The evaluated population was submitted to a slit lamp examination and a conjunctival smear under no anesthesia and sterile conditions. The culture media used was agar Sabouraud added chloramphenicol. The mycobiota room was tested exposing similar media material for 30 minutes to room air, during the periods of patient's smear collection. Results: Fungi positive cultures were found in 4.0%(4/1000) of the studied population (4.2%-34/803 in the diabetic group; 3.1%-6/197 in the non-diabetic group). No statistically significance was found in the association of fungi isolates and age (P=0.575), gender (P=0.517), diabetes type (P=0.720), disease duration (P=0.633) and staging of the retinopathy (P=0.655). All fungi identified in the subjects were filamentous, and Aspergillus spp. represented 60.4% them. Aspergillus niger was the most frequent species (45.8%). There was anemophilus fungi growth in the room, consistent with species isolated from the air the conjunctiva on same day. Conclusions: There is a mycobiota in diabetic patients which is similar, both quantitative and qualitative, to the mycobiota found in non-diabetic patients. There is no association among between age, gender, diabetes type, disease duration, staging of the retinopathy, and the conjunctival mycobiota in the studied population.

Keywords: conjunctiva • diabetes