Saccharomyces cerevisiae versus Candida in the Liofilchem(®) A.F. Genital System.

A.F. Genital System (GS ref. 74156; Liofilchem®, Roseto degli Abruzzi, Teramo, Italy) is a 24-well plastic tray (Figure 1) that provides a quick, presumptive identification of urogenital pathogens (from vaginal/urethral swabs and seminal fluid). Each well is inoculated with a suspension of the clinical specimen (in 3 mL of sterile physiological solution), then the panel is incubated at 36±1°C for 18-24 hours. The tray contains desiccated biochemical and antibiotic substrates and tests are interpreted based on color change of wells. According to the manufacturer’s instructions, the system only detects Candida species, among yeasts, based on color change of well 24 (green, no growth of Candida; turbid yellow, Candida growth) along with the observation of blastospores, hyphae and chlamydospores in well 6 (that contains a liquid growth medium), after incubation.