The susceptibility of 200 strains of Candida albicans and 34 strains of Candida species isolated from patients was tested against ketoconazole (KTZ, cyclosporin A (CsA) and the combination of KTZ with CsA, using Sabouraud's and YNB media. The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for C.albicans determined on diagnostic plates containing Sabouraud's media gave the following values of KTZ: 26.6±3.33 mg/L, CsA 521.4±19.16 mg/L, while plates containing YNB agar gave the following values of KTZ 3.68±0.36 mg/L, CsA 321.9±19.80 mg/L. The combination of KTZ and CsA in various ratios (1:1, 1:2, 2:1) was found to exert a synergistic effect against C.albicans on Sabouraud's medium and the mean values of the combinations were: 1.42±0.17, 1.58±0.19, 1.22±0.17 mg/L. These results were significantly different (p<0.001) as compared with ketoconazole. Our findings indicate that cyclosporin A, an immunosuppressive agent, increases the antifungal activity of KTZ against C.albicans and C.species in vitro.

Keywords: cyclosporin A, Candida species