Pneumocystis carinii Nomenclature: Response to Cushion and Stringer

Fun with fungi: a comprehensive review of common fungal organisms encountered in cytology

The ability to detect and diagnose infection is essential in the practice of cytopathology. The identification of suppurative or granulomatous inflammation should prompt careful evaluation for infection. Many of the most commonly encountered fungal organisms demonstrate characteristic microscopic appearances that allow accurate identification even with routine cytology stains, particularly when considered in the context of clinical factors such as geographic location, social history, patient immune status, and symptoms. Given the vital role cytopathologists play in the accurate diagnosis or presumptive identification of infections, this review explores the epidemiology, clinical manifestations, and morphologic features of common fungal pathogens in addition to their differential diagnoses and ancillary testing methods.

It is still PCP that can stand for Pneumocystis pneumonia: Appeal for generalized use of only one acronym

Twenty-years ago, considering the host specificity of Pneumocystis species, the human-derived Pneumocystis, Pneumocystis carinii formae specialis hominis, was renamed Pneumocystis jirovecii. Pneumocystis carinii formae specialis carinii was finally renamed Pneumocystis carinii and kept for the species derived from Rattus norvegicus. P. jirovecii is now widely used by most authors. The PCP acronym that initially referred to "Pneumocystis cariniipneumonia" was contemporaneously redefined to stand for Pneumocystispneumonia in order to avoid changing the acronym of the name of the disease that clinicians have used for several decades. Using analysis of multidata bases on PubMed, we have noted a recent acceleration in the use of PJP for Pneumocystis jiroveciipneumonia, which may be grammatically correct but not in accordance with retaining PCP, which was proposed in the early 2000s. Through this reminder, in order to standardize the literature on P. jirovecii, we plead for the use of only one acronym, PCP.

LAY SUMMARY

Through this reminder on Pneumocystis nomenclature, we plead for the use of only one acronym, PCP, the retention of which was proposed in the early 2000s, and which currently stands for Pneumocystispneumonia.

Pneumocystis jirovecii Pneumonia

Pneumocystis jirovecii has gained attention during the last decade in the context of the AIDS epidemic and the increasing use of cytotoxic and immunosuppressive therapies. This article summarizes current knowledge on biology, pathophysiology, epidemiology, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of pulmonary P jirovecii infection, with a particular focus on the evolving pathophysiology and epidemiology. Pneumocystis pneumonia still remains a severe opportunistic infection, associated with a high mortality rate.

Current insights into the biology and pathogenesis of Pneumocystis pneumonia

The fungal infection Pneumocystis pneumonia is the most prevalent opportunistic infection in patients with AIDS. Although the analysis of this opportunistic fungal pathogen has been hindered by the inability to isolate it in pure culture, the use of molecular techniques and genomic analysis have brought insights into its complex cell biology. Analysis of the intricate relationship between Pneumocystis and the host lung during infection has revealed that the attachment of Pneumocystis to the alveolar epithelium promotes the transition of the organism from the trophic to the cyst form. It also revealed that Pneumocystis infection elicits the production of inflammatory mediators, culminating in lung injury and impaired gas exchange. Here we discuss these and other recent findings relating to the biology and pathogenesis of this intractable fungus.