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Ma L, Lin I, Hunter ST, Blasi B, Danesi P, Weissenbacher-Lang C, Cisse OH, Rothenburger JL, Kovacs JA. Development of Highly Efficient Universal Pneumocystis Primers and Their Application in Investigating the Prevalence and Genetic Diversity of Pneumocystis in Wild Hares and Rabbits. J Fungi (Basel) 2024; 10:355. [PMID: 38786710 PMCID: PMC11121927 DOI: 10.3390/jof10050355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2024] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite its ubiquitous infectivity to mammals with strong host specificity, our current knowledge about Pneumocystis has originated from studies of merely 4% of extant mammalian species. Further studies of Pneumocystis epidemiology across a broader range of animal species require the use of assays with high sensitivity and specificity. To this end, we have developed multiple universal Pneumocystis primers targeting different genetic loci with high amplification efficiency. Application of these primers to PCR investigation of Pneumocystis in free-living hares (Lepus townsendii, n = 130) and rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus, n = 8) in Canada revealed a prevalence of 81% (105/130) and 25% (2/8), respectively. Genotyping analysis identified five and two variants of Pneumocystis from hares and rabbits, respectively, with significant sequence divergence between the variants from hares. Based on phylogenetic analysis using nearly full-length sequences of the mitochondrial genome, nuclear rRNA operon and dihydropteroate synthase gene for the two most common variants, Pneumocystis in hares and rabbits are more closely related to each other than either are to Pneumocystis in other mammals. Furthermore, Pneumocystis in both hares and rabbits are more closely related to Pneumocystis in primates and dogs than to Pneumocystis in rodents. The high prevalence of Pneumocystis in hares (P. sp. 'townsendii') suggests its widespread transmissibility in the natural environment, similar to P. oryctolagi in rabbits. The presence of multiple distinct Pneumocystis populations in hares contrasts with the lack of apparent intra-species heterogeneity in P. oryctolagi, implying a unique evolution history of P. sp. 'townsendii' in hares.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Ma
- Critical Care Medicine Department, National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (I.L.); (O.H.C.); (J.A.K.)
| | - Isabella Lin
- Critical Care Medicine Department, National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (I.L.); (O.H.C.); (J.A.K.)
| | - Summer T. Hunter
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative (Alberta Region), Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada; (S.T.H.); (J.L.R.)
| | - Barbara Blasi
- Department of Biological Sciences and Pathobiology, Institute of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210 Wien, Austria; (B.B.); (C.W.-L.)
| | - Patrizia Danesi
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Mycology and Medical Enthomology, Istituto Zooprofilattico delle Venezie, 35020 Legnaro, Italy;
| | - Christiane Weissenbacher-Lang
- Department of Biological Sciences and Pathobiology, Institute of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210 Wien, Austria; (B.B.); (C.W.-L.)
| | - Ousmane H. Cisse
- Critical Care Medicine Department, National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (I.L.); (O.H.C.); (J.A.K.)
| | - Jamie L. Rothenburger
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative (Alberta Region), Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada; (S.T.H.); (J.L.R.)
| | - Joseph A. Kovacs
- Critical Care Medicine Department, National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (I.L.); (O.H.C.); (J.A.K.)
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Zhang C, Sun H, Zhang QY, Tong ZH. MiR-150 levels are related to in-hospital mortality in non-HIV Pneumocystis pneumonia patients. Med Mycol 2024; 62:myae022. [PMID: 38471665 DOI: 10.1093/mmy/myae022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) is a common opportunistic infection that occurs in immunocompromised patients. Compared with HIV patients, PCP in non-HIV patients tends to follow up a more urgent course and poorer prognosis. Therefore, markers that could predict survival of PCP patients in non-HIV population are of great value. MiRNA-150 has been widely studied in many diseases since it has been identified as a vital regulator of immune cell differentiation and activation. We thus conduct this study aiming to evaluate the prognostic value of miR-150 level in non-HIV PCP. First, the expression levels of miR-150 were compared between PCP patients and healthy volunteers. The miR-150 levels in immune cells were also detected in PCP mouse models. Then the prognostic value of miR-150 was further assessed in another PCP population (n = 72). The expression levels of miR-150 were measured by reverse transcription real-time PCR (RT-PCR) technique. Our data demonstrated significantly decreased miR-150 expression levels in PCP patients and mouse models compared to controls. The miR-150 levels also decreased in various immune cells of PCP mouse models. With a cut-off value of 3.48, the area under the curve, sensitivity, specificity of miR-150 to predicate PCP mortality were 0.845, 68.2% and 96.0%, respectively. In conclusion, miR-150 expression value might serve as a potential biomarker to identify PCP patients at high risk of death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Zhang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Han Sun
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Qian-Yu Zhang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhao-Hui Tong
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
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Cissé OH, Ma L, Kovacs JA. Retracing the evolution of Pneumocystis species, with a focus on the human pathogen Pneumocystis jirovecii. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2024:e0020222. [PMID: 38587383 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00202-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
SUMMARYEvery human being is presumed to be infected by the fungus Pneumocystis jirovecii at least once in his or her lifetime. This fungus belongs to a large group of species that appear to exclusively infect mammals, with P. jirovecii being the only one known to cause disease in humans. The mystery of P. jirovecii origin and speciation is just beginning to unravel. Here, we provide a review of the major steps of P. jirovecii evolution. The Pneumocystis genus likely originated from soil or plant-associated organisms during the period of Cretaceous ~165 million years ago and successfully shifted to mammals. The transition coincided with a substantial loss of genes, many of which are related to the synthesis of nutrients that can be scavenged from hosts or cell wall components that could be targeted by the mammalian immune system. Following the transition, the Pneumocystis genus cospeciated with mammals. Each species specialized at infecting its own host. Host specialization is presumably built at least partially upon surface glycoproteins, whose protogene was acquired prior to the genus formation. P. jirovecii appeared at ~65 million years ago, overlapping with the emergence of the first primates. P. jirovecii and its sister species P. macacae, which infects macaques nowadays, may have had overlapping host ranges in the distant past. Clues from molecular clocks suggest that P. jirovecii did not cospeciate with humans. Molecular evidence suggests that Pneumocystis speciation involved chromosomal rearrangements and the mounting of genetic barriers that inhibit gene flow among species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ousmane H Cissé
- Critical Care Medicine Department, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Liang Ma
- Critical Care Medicine Department, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Joseph A Kovacs
- Critical Care Medicine Department, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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Cissé OH, Curran SJ, Folco HD, Liu Y, Bishop L, Wang H, Fischer ER, Davis AS, Combs C, Thapar S, Dekker JP, Grewal S, Cushion M, Ma L, Kovacs JA. Regional centromere configuration in the fungal pathogens of the Pneumocystis genus. mBio 2024; 15:e0318523. [PMID: 38380929 PMCID: PMC10936427 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03185-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Centromeres are constricted chromosomal regions that are essential for cell division. In eukaryotes, centromeres display a remarkable architectural and genetic diversity. The basis of centromere-accelerated evolution remains elusive. Here, we focused on Pneumocystis species, a group of mammalian-specific fungal pathogens that form a sister taxon with that of the Schizosaccharomyces pombe, an important genetic model for centromere biology research. Methods allowing reliable continuous culture of Pneumocystis species do not currently exist, precluding genetic manipulation. CENP-A, a variant of histone H3, is the epigenetic marker that defines centromeres in most eukaryotes. Using heterologous complementation, we show that the Pneumocystis CENP-A ortholog is functionally equivalent to CENP-ACnp1 of S. pombe. Using organisms from a short-term in vitro culture or infected animal models and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-Seq, we identified CENP-A bound regions in two Pneumocystis species that diverged ~35 million years ago. Each species has a unique short regional centromere (<10 kb) flanked by heterochromatin in 16-17 monocentric chromosomes. They span active genes and lack conserved DNA sequence motifs and repeats. These features suggest an epigenetic specification of centromere function. Analysis of centromeric DNA across multiple Pneumocystis species suggests a vertical transmission at least 100 million years ago. The common ancestry of Pneumocystis and S. pombe centromeres is untraceable at the DNA level, but the overall architectural similarity could be the result of functional constraint for successful chromosomal segregation.IMPORTANCEPneumocystis species offer a suitable genetic system to study centromere evolution in pathogens because of their phylogenetic proximity with the non-pathogenic yeast S. pombe, a popular model for cell biology. We used this system to explore how centromeres have evolved after the divergence of the two clades ~ 460 million years ago. To address this question, we established a protocol combining short-term culture and ChIP-Seq to characterize centromeres in multiple Pneumocystis species. We show that Pneumocystis have short epigenetic centromeres that function differently from those in S. pombe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ousmane H. Cissé
- Critical Care Medicine Department, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Shelly J. Curran
- Critical Care Medicine Department, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - H. Diego Folco
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Yueqin Liu
- Critical Care Medicine Department, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Lisa Bishop
- Critical Care Medicine Department, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Honghui Wang
- Critical Care Medicine Department, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Elizabeth R. Fischer
- Microscopy Unit, Research Technologies Branch, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, USA
| | - A. Sally Davis
- Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
| | - Christian Combs
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Sabrina Thapar
- Critical Care Medicine Department, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - John P. Dekker
- Bacterial Pathogenesis and Antimicrobial Resistance Unit, National Institute of Allergy, and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Shiv Grewal
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Melanie Cushion
- Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Liang Ma
- Critical Care Medicine Department, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Joseph A. Kovacs
- Critical Care Medicine Department, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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5
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Porragas-Paseiro HS, Johnson S, Brubaker L, Sanders BE. Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia complicating methotrexate treatment in a patient with low-risk post-molar gestational trophoblastic neoplasia: A case report and review of the literature. Gynecol Oncol Rep 2023; 50:101286. [PMID: 37860081 PMCID: PMC10582284 DOI: 10.1016/j.gore.2023.101286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Low-risk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) is generally treated with single agent chemotherapy, including methotrexate (MTX) or dactinomycin. We present a case of a patient with low-risk GTN who underwent single agent MTX therapy, developed Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP), recovered, and ultimately completed consolidation treatment for GTN on single agent MTX. While MTX administration is associated with an increased risk of PJP, this association is best described in rheumatology literature. This is the first case of PJP complicating MTX therapy within the gynecologic oncology literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hector S Porragas-Paseiro
- University of Colorado, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology; Division of Gynecologic Oncology, USA
| | - Steven Johnson
- University of Colorado, Department of Infectious Diseases, USA
| | - Lindsay Brubaker
- University of Colorado, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology; Division of Gynecologic Oncology, USA
| | - Brooke E Sanders
- University of Colorado, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology; Division of Gynecologic Oncology, USA
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Meier CS, Pagni M, Richard S, Mühlethaler K, Almeida JMGCF, Nevez G, Cushion MT, Calderón EJ, Hauser PM. Fungal antigenic variation using mosaicism and reassortment of subtelomeric genes' repertoires. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7026. [PMID: 37919276 PMCID: PMC10622565 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42685-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Surface antigenic variation is crucial for major pathogens that infect humans. To escape the immune system, they exploit various mechanisms. Understanding these mechanisms is important to better prevent and fight the deadly diseases caused. Those used by the fungus Pneumocystis jirovecii that causes life-threatening pneumonia in immunocompromised individuals remain poorly understood. Here, though this fungus is currently not cultivable, our detailed analysis of the subtelomeric sequence motifs and genes encoding surface proteins suggests that the system involves the reassortment of the repertoire of ca. 80 non-expressed genes present in each strain, from which single genes are retrieved for mutually exclusive expression. Dispersion of the new repertoires, supposedly by healthy carrier individuals, appears very efficient because identical alleles are observed in patients from different countries. Our observations reveal a unique strategy of antigenic variation. They also highlight the possible role in genome rearrangements of small imperfect mirror sequences forming DNA triplexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline S Meier
- Institute of Microbiology, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Marco Pagni
- Vital-IT Group, SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sophie Richard
- Institute of Microbiology, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Konrad Mühlethaler
- Institute for Infectious Diseases, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - João M G C F Almeida
- UCIBIO, Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Department of Life Sciences, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516, Caparica, Portugal
| | - Gilles Nevez
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie et Mycologie, Hôpital de La Cavale Blanche, CHU de Brest, Brest, France
- Infections respiratoires fongiques (IFR), Université d'Angers, Université de Brest, Brest, France
| | - Melanie T Cushion
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45267, USA
- Cincinnati VAMC, Medical Research Service, Cincinnati, OH, 45220, USA
| | - Enrique J Calderón
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocίo/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientίficas/Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiologίa y Salud Pública, Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocίo, Departamento de Medicina, Facultad de Medicina, Seville, Spain
| | - Philippe M Hauser
- Institute of Microbiology, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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Riebold D, Mahnkopf M, Wicht K, Zubiria-Barrera C, Heise J, Frank M, Misch D, Bauer T, Stocker H, Slevogt H. Axenic Long-Term Cultivation of Pneumocystis jirovecii. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:903. [PMID: 37755011 PMCID: PMC10533121 DOI: 10.3390/jof9090903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Pneumocystis jirovecii, a fungus causing severe Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) in humans, has long been described as non-culturable. Only isolated short-term experiments with P. jirovecii and a small number of experiments involving animal-derived Pneumocystis species have been published to date. However, P. jirovecii culture conditions may differ significantly from those of animal-derived Pneumocystis, as there are major genotypic and phenotypic differences between them. Establishing a well-performing P. jirovecii cultivation is crucial to understanding PCP and its pathophysiological processes. The aim of this study, therefore, was to develop an axenic culture for Pneumocystis jirovecii. To identify promising approaches for cultivation, a literature survey encompassing animal-derived Pneumocystis cultures was carried out. The variables identified, such as incubation time, pH value, vitamins, amino acids, and other components, were trialed and adjusted to find the optimum conditions for P. jirovecii culture. This allowed us to develop a medium that produced a 42.6-fold increase in P. jirovecii qPCR copy numbers after a 48-day culture. Growth was confirmed microscopically by the increasing number and size of actively growing Pneumocystis clusters in the final medium, DMEM-O3. P. jirovecii doubling time was 8.9 days (range 6.9 to 13.6 days). In conclusion, we successfully cultivated P. jirovecii under optimized cell-free conditions in a 70-day long-term culture for the first time. However, further optimization of the culture conditions for this slow grower is indispensable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Riebold
- Research Centre of Medical Technology and Biotechnology (FZMB), 99947 Bad Langensalza, Germany; (M.M.); (J.H.)
| | - Marie Mahnkopf
- Research Centre of Medical Technology and Biotechnology (FZMB), 99947 Bad Langensalza, Germany; (M.M.); (J.H.)
| | - Kristina Wicht
- Separation Science Group, Department of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry, Ghent University, B-9000 Gent, Belgium;
| | - Cristina Zubiria-Barrera
- Respiratory Infection Dynamics Group, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany; (C.Z.-B.); (H.S.)
- Department of Respiratory Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Hannover Medical School, German Center for Lung Research (DZL), BREATH, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Jan Heise
- Research Centre of Medical Technology and Biotechnology (FZMB), 99947 Bad Langensalza, Germany; (M.M.); (J.H.)
| | - Marcus Frank
- Medical Biology and Electron Microscopy Centre (EMZ), University Medicine Rostock, 18057 Rostock, Germany;
| | - Daniel Misch
- Lungenklinik Heckeshorn, Helios Klinikum Emil-von-Behring, 14165 Berlin, Germany; (D.M.); (T.B.)
| | - Torsten Bauer
- Lungenklinik Heckeshorn, Helios Klinikum Emil-von-Behring, 14165 Berlin, Germany; (D.M.); (T.B.)
| | - Hartmut Stocker
- Clinic for Infectiology, St. Joseph’s Hospital Berlin, 12101 Berlin, Germany;
| | - Hortense Slevogt
- Respiratory Infection Dynamics Group, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany; (C.Z.-B.); (H.S.)
- Department of Respiratory Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Hannover Medical School, German Center for Lung Research (DZL), BREATH, 30625 Hannover, Germany
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Xue T, Kong X, Ma L. Trends in the Epidemiology of Pneumocystis Pneumonia in Immunocompromised Patients without HIV Infection. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:812. [PMID: 37623583 PMCID: PMC10455156 DOI: 10.3390/jof9080812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The increasing morbidity and mortality of life-threatening Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) in immunocompromised people poses a global concern, prompting the World Health Organization to list it as one of the 19 priority invasive fungal diseases, calling for increased research and public health action. In response to this initiative, we provide this review on the epidemiology of PCP in non-HIV patients with various immunodeficient conditions, including the use of immunosuppressive agents, cancer therapies, solid organ and stem cell transplantation, autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, inherited or primary immunodeficiencies, and COVID-19. Special attention is given to the molecular epidemiology of PCP outbreaks in solid organ transplant recipients; the risk of PCP associated with the increasing use of immunodepleting monoclonal antibodies and a wide range of genetic defects causing primary immunodeficiency; the trend of concurrent infection of PCP in COVID-19; the prevalence of colonization; and the rising evidence supporting de novo infection rather than reactivation of latent infection in the pathogenesis of PCP. Additionally, we provide a concise discussion of the varying effects of different immunodeficient conditions on distinct components of the immune system. The objective of this review is to increase awareness and knowledge of PCP in non-HIV patients, thereby improving the early identification and treatment of patients susceptible to PCP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Xue
- NHC Key Laboratory of Pneumoconiosis, Key Laboratory of Prophylaxis and Treatment and Basic Research of Respiratory Diseases of Shanxi Province, Shanxi Province Key Laboratory of Respiratory, Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, China
| | - Xiaomei Kong
- NHC Key Laboratory of Pneumoconiosis, Key Laboratory of Prophylaxis and Treatment and Basic Research of Respiratory Diseases of Shanxi Province, Shanxi Province Key Laboratory of Respiratory, Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, China
| | - Liang Ma
- Critical Care Medicine Department, NIH Clinical Center, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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Qing L, Zhao Y, Zhang Y, Guan Y, Lu G. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing in a diagnosis of Pneumocystis pneumonia in an X-linked immunodeficient child: a case report. Front Pediatr 2023; 11:1183601. [PMID: 37435170 PMCID: PMC10331134 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2023.1183601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The diagnosis of Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) remains challenging in certain specific clinical situations. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS), as a novel diagnostic method, may help in the diagnosis of PCP. Case presentation A 6-month-old male child developed acute pneumonia and sepsis. This child had previously suffered from Escherichia coli septicemia and was cured. However, the fever and dyspnea relapsed. Blood tests revealed a low lymphocyte count (0.69 × 109/L) and acute inflammatory markers such as high-level procalcitonin (8.0 ng/ml) and C-reactive protein (19 mg/dl). Chest imaging showed inflammation and decreased translucency in both lungs but no thymus shadow. Various serology tests, the 1,3-beta-D-glucan test, culture, as well as sputum smear failed to detect any pathogens. mNGS with blood helped identify 133 specific nucleic acid sequences of Pneumocystis jirovecii, suggesting an infection with this pathogen. After treatment with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole for 5 days, the patient's condition improved, but the child still needed ventilator support. Unfortunately, the child died soon after because of respiratory failure after his parents decided to abandon treatment. The family declined an autopsy on the child, and therefore, an anatomical diagnosis could not be obtained. Whole-exome sequencing suggested X-linked immunodeficiency. A hemizygous mutation of c.865c > t (p.r289*) was detected in the IL2RG gene, which was inherited from the mother (heterozygous state). Conclusion This case report highlights the value of mNGS in diagnosing PCP when conventional diagnostic methods fail to identify the agent. Early onset of recurrent infectious diseases may indicate the presence of an immunodeficiency disease, for which timely genetic analysis and diagnosis are crucial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Qing
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children of MOE, Department of Pediatrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yufei Zhao
- Department of Pediatrics, The Third Hospital of Mianyang, Sichuan University, Mianyang, China
| | - Ye Zhang
- Department of Scientific Affairs, Hugobiotech Co., Ltd., Beijing, China
| | - Yuanlin Guan
- Department of Scientific Affairs, Hugobiotech Co., Ltd., Beijing, China
| | - Guoyan Lu
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children of MOE, Department of Pediatrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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10
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Xu Y, Li Z, Ouyang L, Su Y, Wang C. Successful treatment of severe Pneumocystis Jirovecii pneumonia in a diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patient after R-CHOP chemotherapy: A case report. SAGE Open Med Case Rep 2023; 11:2050313X231178050. [PMID: 37325165 PMCID: PMC10265330 DOI: 10.1177/2050313x231178050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
R-CHOP chemotherapy has been established as the first-line standard treatment for elderly patients diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. However, an increased risk of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients after the rituximab-based chemotherapy has been reported. We describe a case who developed intermittent cough, fever and shortness of breath after five cycles of R-CHOP treatment for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. A rapid deterioration in patient's respiratory condition prompted us to adopt an aggressive anti- Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia strategy that combined the conventional trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole and another two antimicrobials, caspofungin and clindamycin. This is the first report mentioning the successful treatment of severe Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia with a triple-drug regimen in a HIV-uninfected patient. The aim of our report is also to emphasize that early and correct diagnosis of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia in immunocompromised HIV-uninfected patients is very important. Relevant oncologists should be alert to the risk of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia in patients receiving R-CHOP chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Xu
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhaolin Li
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lamei Ouyang
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yinqing Su
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Canmin Wang
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
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11
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Rojas DA, Ponce CA, Bustos A, Cortés V, Olivares D, Vargas SL. Pneumocystis Exacerbates Inflammation and Mucus Hypersecretion in a Murine, Elastase-Induced-COPD Model. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:jof9040452. [PMID: 37108906 PMCID: PMC10142929 DOI: 10.3390/jof9040452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Inflammation and mucus hypersecretion are frequent pathology features of chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma and COPD. Selected bacteria, viruses and fungi may synergize as co-factors in aggravating disease by activating pathways that are able to induce airway pathology. Pneumocystis infection induces inflammation and mucus hypersecretion in immune competent and compromised humans and animals. This fungus is a frequent colonizer in patients with COPD. Therefore, it becomes essential to identify whether it has a role in aggravating COPD severity. This work used an elastase-induced COPD model to evaluate the role of Pneumocystis in the exacerbation of pathology, including COPD-like lung lesions, inflammation and mucus hypersecretion. Animals infected with Pneumocystis developed increased histology features of COPD, inflammatory cuffs around airways and lung vasculature plus mucus hypersecretion. Pneumocystis induced a synergic increment in levels of inflammation markers (Cxcl2, IL6, IL8 and IL10) and mucins (Muc5ac/Muc5b). Levels of STAT6-dependent transcription factors Gata3, FoxA3 and Spdef were also synergically increased in Pneumocystis infected animals and elastase-induced COPD, while the levels of the mucous cell-hyperplasia transcription factor FoxA2 were decreased compared to the other groups. Results document that Pneumocystis is a co-factor for disease severity in this elastase-induced-COPD model and highlight the relevance of STAT6 pathway in Pneumocystis pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego A Rojas
- Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas (ICB), Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago 8910132, Chile
| | - Carolina A Ponce
- Programa de Microbiología y Micología, ICBM, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8380492, Chile
| | - Adriel Bustos
- Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas (ICB), Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago 8910132, Chile
| | - Vicente Cortés
- Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas (ICB), Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago 8910132, Chile
| | - Daniela Olivares
- Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas (ICB), Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago 8910132, Chile
| | - Sergio L Vargas
- Programa de Microbiología y Micología, ICBM, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8380492, Chile
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12
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Oliveira M, Oliveira D, Lisboa C, Boechat JL, Delgado L. Clinical Manifestations of Human Exposure to Fungi. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:jof9030381. [PMID: 36983549 PMCID: PMC10052331 DOI: 10.3390/jof9030381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Biological particles, along with inorganic gaseous and particulate pollutants, constitute an ever-present component of the atmosphere and surfaces. Among these particles are fungal species colonizing almost all ecosystems, including the human body. Although inoffensive to most people, fungi can be responsible for several health problems, such as allergic fungal diseases and fungal infections. Worldwide fungal disease incidence is increasing, with new emerging fungal diseases appearing yearly. Reasons for this increase are the expansion of life expectancy, the number of immunocompromised patients (immunosuppressive treatments for transplantation, autoimmune diseases, and immunodeficiency diseases), the number of uncontrolled underlying conditions (e.g., diabetes mellitus), and the misusage of medication (e.g., corticosteroids and broad-spectrum antibiotics). Managing fungal diseases is challenging; only four classes of antifungal drugs are available, resistance to these drugs is increasing, and no vaccines have been approved. The present work reviews the implications of fungal particles in human health from allergic diseases (i.e., allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, severe asthma with fungal sensitization, thunderstorm asthma, allergic fungal rhinosinusitis, and occupational lung diseases) to infections (i.e., superficial, subcutaneous, and systemic infections). Topics such as the etiological agent, risk factors, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment will be revised to improve the knowledge of this growing health concern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Oliveira
- i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Ipatimup-Instituto de Patologia e Imunologia Molecular da Universidade do Porto, Rua Júlio Amaral de Carvalho 45, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Diana Oliveira
- CRN-Unidade de Reabilitação AVC, Centro de Reabilitação do Norte, Centro Hospitalar de Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho, Avenida dos Sanatórios 127, 4405-565 Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
| | - Carmen Lisboa
- Serviço de Microbiologia, Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina do Porto, Alameda Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
- Serviço de Dermatologia, Centro Hospitalar Universitário de São João, Alameda Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
- CINTESIS@RISE-Centro de Investigação em Tecnologias e Serviços de Saúde, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Alameda Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
| | - José Laerte Boechat
- CINTESIS@RISE-Centro de Investigação em Tecnologias e Serviços de Saúde, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Alameda Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
- Serviço de Imunologia Básica e Clínica, Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Alameda Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
| | - Luís Delgado
- CINTESIS@RISE-Centro de Investigação em Tecnologias e Serviços de Saúde, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Alameda Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
- Serviço de Imunologia Básica e Clínica, Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Alameda Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
- Laboratório de Imunologia, Serviço de Patologia Clínica, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de São João, Alameda Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
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13
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Analysis of Pneumocystis Transcription Factor Evolution and Implications for Biology and Lifestyle. mBio 2023; 14:e0271122. [PMID: 36651897 PMCID: PMC9973273 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02711-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Pneumocystis jirovecii kills hundreds of thousands of immunocompromised patients each year. Yet many aspects of the biology of this obligate pathogen remain obscure because it is not possible to culture the fungus in vitro independently of its host. Consequently, our understanding of Pneumocystis pathobiology is heavily reliant upon bioinformatic inferences. We have exploited a powerful combination of genomic and phylogenetic approaches to examine the evolution of transcription factors in Pneumocystis species. We selected protein families (Pfam families) that correspond to transcriptional regulators and used bioinformatic approaches to compare these families in the seven Pneumocystis species that have been sequenced to date with those from other yeasts, other human and plant pathogens, and other obligate parasites. Some Pfam families of transcription factors have undergone significant reduction during their evolution in the Pneumocystis genus, and other Pfam families have been lost or appear to be in the process of being lost. Meanwhile, other transcription factor families have been retained in Pneumocystis species, and some even appear to have undergone expansion. On this basis, Pneumocystis species seem to have retained transcriptional regulators that control chromosome maintenance, ribosomal gene regulation, RNA processing and modification, and respiration. Meanwhile, regulators that promote the assimilation of alternative carbon sources, amino acid, lipid, and sterol biosynthesis, and iron sensing and homeostasis appear to have been lost. Our analyses of transcription factor retention, loss, and gain provide important insights into the biology and lifestyle of Pneumocystis. IMPORTANCE Pneumocystis jirovecii is a major fungal pathogen of humans that infects healthy individuals, colonizing the lungs of infants. In immunocompromised and transplant patients, this fungus causes life-threatening pneumonia, and these Pneumocystis infections remain among the most common and serious infections in HIV/AIDS patients. Yet we remain remarkably ignorant about the biology and epidemiology of Pneumocystis due to the inability to culture this fungus in vitro. Our analyses of transcription factor retentions, losses, and gains in sequenced Pneumocystis species provide valuable new views of their specialized biology, suggesting the retention of many metabolic and stress regulators and the loss of others that are essential in free-living fungi. Given the lack of in vitro culture methods for Pneumocystis, this powerful bioinformatic approach has advanced our understanding of the lifestyle of P. jirovecii and the nature of its dependence on the host for survival.
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Chen H, Liang Y, Wang R, Wu Y, Zhang X, Huang H, Yu X, Hong M, Yang J, Liao K, Xu H, Liu M, Chen P, Chen Y. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing for the diagnosis of Pneumocystis jirovecii Pneumonia in critically pediatric patients. Ann Clin Microbiol Antimicrob 2023; 22:6. [PMID: 36647095 PMCID: PMC9841943 DOI: 10.1186/s12941-023-00555-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) for the diagnosis of Pneumocystis jirovecii Pneumonia (PCP) in critically pediatric patients. METHODS Seventeen critically pediatric patients with PCP and sixty patients diagnosed with non-PCP pneumonia who were admitted in pediatric intensive care unit between June 2018 and July 2021 were enrolled. Conventional methods and mNGS for detecting Pneumocystis jirovecii (P. jirovecii) were compared. The patients' demographics, comorbidities, laboratory test results, antibiotic treatment response and 30 day mortality were analyzed. RESULT The mNGS showed a satisfying diagnostic performance with a sensitivity of 100% in detecting P. jirovecii compared with Gomori methenamine silver staining (5.9%), serum (1,3)-β-D-glucan (86.7%) and and LDH (55.6%). The diagnostic specificity of mNGS for PCP was higher than that of serum BDG (56.7%) and LDH (71.4%). In PCP group, over one thirds' cases had mixed infections. Compared with survivors, non-survivors had higher stringently mapped read numbers (SMRNs) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) sample (P < 0.05), suggesting SMRNs were closely associated with the severity of response. The detection for P. jirovecii by mNGS both in BALF and blood samples reached a concordance rate of 100%, and the SMRNs in the BALF were remarkably higher than that in blood samples. Initial antimicrobial treatment was modified in 88.2% of PCP patients based on the mNGS results. CONCLUSION The mNGS is a potential and efficient technology in diagnosing PCP and shows a satisfying performance in the detection of co-pathogens. Both blood and BALF samples for mNGS are suggested for the presumptive diagnosis of PCP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hengxin Chen
- grid.412615.50000 0004 1803 6239Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080 Guangdong China
| | - Yujian Liang
- grid.412615.50000 0004 1803 6239Department of Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080 Guangdong China
| | - Ruizhi Wang
- grid.412615.50000 0004 1803 6239Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080 Guangdong China
| | - Yijie Wu
- grid.12981.330000 0001 2360 039XZhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiaoyun Zhang
- grid.12981.330000 0001 2360 039XZhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangdong, China
| | - Hao Huang
- grid.412615.50000 0004 1803 6239Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080 Guangdong China
| | - Xuegao Yu
- grid.412615.50000 0004 1803 6239Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080 Guangdong China
| | - Mengzhi Hong
- grid.412615.50000 0004 1803 6239Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080 Guangdong China
| | - Juhua Yang
- grid.508230.cVision Medicals Co., Ltd, Guangzhou, China
| | - Kang Liao
- grid.412615.50000 0004 1803 6239Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080 Guangdong China
| | - Hongxu Xu
- grid.412615.50000 0004 1803 6239Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080 Guangdong China
| | - Min Liu
- grid.412615.50000 0004 1803 6239Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080 Guangdong China
| | - Peisong Chen
- grid.412615.50000 0004 1803 6239Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080 Guangdong China
| | - Yili Chen
- grid.412615.50000 0004 1803 6239Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080 Guangdong China
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15
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Matouri R, Aboutalebian S, Nasri E, Sadeghi S, Rostami S, Fakhim H, Ghafel S, Hosseini M, Mousavi S, Rouhi F, Pestechian N, Mirhendi H. Molecular and microscopy detection of Pneumocystis jirovecii in hospitalized patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Front Med (Lausanne) 2023; 10:1148320. [PMID: 37089605 PMCID: PMC10117983 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2023.1148320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Early detection of Pneumocystis jirovecii as an opportunistic pathogen that may endanger predisposed persons, including COVID-19 patients, may help to choose the optimal management. Methods In this study, 585, including 530 COVID-19 patients, with clinical and radiological evidence of respiratory diseases, were investigated for P. jirovecii screening. Clinical specimens were examined by direct microscopy and PCR, and randomly selected positive PCR products were confirmed through DNA sequence analysis. Results Thirty-one (5.3%) samples were positive in P. jirovecii-specific nested-PCR, while by direct microscopic tests, Pneumocystis was observed in 22 (3.76%) samples. Males (61.7%) and patients over 50 years old (75.6%) were more commonly affected than others, and malaise and fatigue (84%), and wheezing (75%) were the most common symptoms, followed by fever (40.48%) and dyspnea (39.51%). Among the Pneumocystis-positive patients, three cases had coinfection with Aspergillus fumigatus, A. flavus, and A. niger (each n = 1), as documented by direct microscopy, culture, and species identification by PCR-sequencing. Conclusion Pneumocystis pneumonia is still a diagnostic challenge; therefore, additional large-scale studies are needed to clarify the epidemiology of the disease in immunocompromised or COVID-19 patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roya Matouri
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Shima Aboutalebian
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
- Mycology Reference Laboratory, Research Core Facilities Laboratory, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Elahe Nasri
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Somayeh Sadeghi
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Soodabeh Rostami
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Hamed Fakhim
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Safiyeh Ghafel
- Mycology Reference Laboratory, Research Core Facilities Laboratory, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mahnaz Hosseini
- Mycology Reference Laboratory, Research Core Facilities Laboratory, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Somayeh Mousavi
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Faezeh Rouhi
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Nader Pestechian
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Hossein Mirhendi
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
- Mycology Reference Laboratory, Research Core Facilities Laboratory, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
- *Correspondence: Hossein Mirhendi, ; orcid.org/0000-0002-1006-4169
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Lussac-Sorton F, Fleur T, Voisin T, Issa N, Blanchard É, Charpentier É, Delhaes L. Interest of a Commercialized Pneumocystis jirovecii Quantitative PCR to Discriminate Colonization from Pneumocystis Pneumonia according to the Revised EORTC/MSGERC Criteria. J Clin Med 2022; 12:jcm12010316. [PMID: 36615116 PMCID: PMC9821677 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12010316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 12/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Quantitative PCR (qPCR) is highly sensitive to diagnose Pneumocystis jirovecii (Pj) pneumonia (PCP). However, differentiating PCP and colonization remains difficult. This study aimed to establish the performances of the commercialized qPCR MycoGENIE® Pj kit (Ademtech) to distinguish PCP and Pj colonization. Patients with a positive Pj qPCR on bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) or upper respiratory tract (URT) samples were prospectively included between May 2019 and December 2020 at Bordeaux University Hospital. They were classified in “PCP” or “Pj colonization” groups based on the revised EORTC/MSGERC criteria. The two groups’ results were compared; ROC curves were produced to determine the best thresholds. Excluding the low number of HIV-positive subjects, there were 100 PCP (32 BAL, 68 URT) and 70 Pj colonization (34 BAL, 36 URT). Pj loads were significantly higher in PCP compared to Pj colonization group (p ≤ 0.01). The best cut-offs for PCP diagnosis were 31.45 Cq/8275 copies/mL for BAL and 32.33 Cq/8130 copies/mL for URT (sensitivity = 59.4%, 63.3%, specificity = 82.4%, 88.9%, respectively). Fungal load quantification using MycoGENIE® Pj qPCR helps discriminating PCP from colonization, high fungal loads being indicative of probable PCP. Low load results should be interpreted with caution, in accordance with clinical and radiological signs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Lussac-Sorton
- Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Groupe Hospitalier Pellegrin, CHU de Bordeaux, 33000 Bordeaux, France
- Correspondence:
| | - Tara Fleur
- Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Groupe Hospitalier Pellegrin, CHU de Bordeaux, 33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Thibault Voisin
- Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Groupe Hospitalier Pellegrin, CHU de Bordeaux, 33000 Bordeaux, France
- Eurofins, Polyclinique Bordeaux Nord, 18 Rue Henri Guillemin, 33300 Bordeaux, France
| | - Nahéma Issa
- Réanimation Médicale, Groupe Hospitalier Saint-André, CHU de Bordeaux, 33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Élodie Blanchard
- Service de Pneumologie, Hôpital Haut-Lévêque, Groupe Hospitalier Sud, CHU de Bordeaux, 33600 Pessac, France
| | - Éléna Charpentier
- Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Groupe Hospitalier Pellegrin, CHU de Bordeaux, 33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Laurence Delhaes
- Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Groupe Hospitalier Pellegrin, CHU de Bordeaux, 33000 Bordeaux, France
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Zhao M, Yue R, Wu X, Gao Z, He M, Pan L. The diagnostic value of metagenomic next-generation sequencing for identifying Pneumocystis jirovecii infection in non-HIV immunocompromised patients. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:1026739. [PMID: 36389151 PMCID: PMC9647189 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.1026739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality in non-HIV immunocompromised patients especially in transplant recipients. But its diagnosis remains challenging due to the insuffificient performance of conventional methods for diagnosing Pneumocystis jirovecii(P. jirovecii) infection. Therefore, the auxiliary diagnostic function of metagenomics next-generation sequencing (mNGS) in clinical practice is worth of exploring. Method 34 non-HIV immunocompromised patients who were diagnosed as PJP by clinical manifestations, imaging findings, immune status of the host, and Methenamine silver staining were tested by mNGS from October 2018 to December 2020 in Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital. The clinical performances of mNGS for P. jirovecii infection diagnosis were also evaluated with genome reads abundance and comparing with other traditional diagnostic methods. Results We diagnosed a total of 34 non-HIV PJP patients by the clinical composite diagnosis. Our data shows that, compared with the clinical microbiological test, the detection rate of mNGS for P. jirovecii in non-HIV infected PJP patients is significantly higher than that of Methenamine silver staining and serum 1-3-β-D-glucan. mNGS can be used as an auxiliary diagnostic tool to help diagnosis. The number of reads mapped to the genome of P. jirovecii and the duration of patients from onset to sampling collection were statistically significant between the two groups (Reads>100 and Reads ≤ 100) (8days vs. 23days, p=0.020). In addition, univariate analysis showed that C-reactive protein (15.8mg/L vs.79.56mg/L, p=0.016), lactate dehydrogenase (696U/l vs. 494U/l, p=0.030) and procalcitonin (0.09ng/ml vs. 0.59ng/ml, p=0.028) was also statistically significant between the two groups. Conclusions An effective detection rate was achieved in PJP patients using mNGS testing of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) or blood. The study also confirmed that the abundance of reads of P. jirovecii is related to the interval between the onset and sample collection. And the inflammation status during simultaneous mNGS detection might determine the abundance of pathogens. Hence, we conclude that the mNGS strategy could benefit disease diagnosis as well as treatment when complicated clinical infections appeared.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengyi Zhao
- Institute of Blood Transfusion, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Ruiming Yue
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Sichuan Translational Medicine Research Hospital, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaoxiao Wu
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Sichuan Translational Medicine Research Hospital, Chengdu, China
| | - Zhan Gao
- Institute of Blood Transfusion, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Miao He
- Institute of Blood Transfusion, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China
- *Correspondence: Miao He, ; Lingai Pan,
| | - Lingai Pan
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Sichuan Translational Medicine Research Hospital, Chengdu, China
- *Correspondence: Miao He, ; Lingai Pan,
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Sharma J, Mudalagiriyappa S, Nanjappa SG. T cell responses to control fungal infection in an immunological memory lens. Front Immunol 2022; 13:905867. [PMID: 36177012 PMCID: PMC9513067 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.905867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, fungal vaccine research emanated significant findings in the field of antifungal T-cell immunity. The generation of effector T cells is essential to combat many mucosal and systemic fungal infections. The development of antifungal memory T cells is integral for controlling or preventing fungal infections, and understanding the factors, regulators, and modifiers that dictate the generation of such T cells is necessary. Despite the deficiency in the clear understanding of antifungal memory T-cell longevity and attributes, in this review, we will compile some of the existing literature on antifungal T-cell immunity in the context of memory T-cell development against fungal infections.
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Nasr M, Mohammad A, Hor M, Baradeiya AM, Qasim H. Exploring the Differences in Pneumocystis Pneumonia Infection Between HIV and Non-HIV Patients. Cureus 2022; 14:e27727. [PMID: 36106266 PMCID: PMC9441775 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.27727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) is one of the most common opportunistic infections worldwide that affects the lung. Pneumocystis leads to pneumonia, caused by Pneumocystis jirovecii, formerly known as Pneumocystis carinii. In recent decades, PCP has been a major health problem for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients and is responsible for most of mortality and morbidity. However, the increasing number of immunosuppressive-related diseases has led to outbreaks in other patient populations, raising the concern for PCP as it becomes a major concern among those patients. These changes led to marked changes in the prevalence and mortality rates of PCP. Huge variations in those parameters among HIV and non-HIV patients have been seen also. Historically, the diagnosis was made by staining and direct visualization of the organism within the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid. The diagnosis is now made by microscopic examination and a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of BAL. Serum (1,3)-β-D-glucan, which is a component of the Pneumocystis jirovecii cell wall that distinguishes it from other fungi, has become an important diagnostic tool. Early diagnosis and treatment play a vital role in the patient’s survival and in the infection outcome; hence, empirical PCP therapy should be started immediately when the infection is suspected without waiting for the results of the diagnostic test. Steroids play an important role in the treatment of HIV patients, especially patients who present with hypoxia and respiratory failure. Prophylaxis is very effective and should be given to all patients at high risk of PCP. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) should be started as soon as possible in newly diagnosed HIV-infected patients with PCP, and the immune status of immunocompromised patients with PCP should be improved by temporarily withholding immunosuppressive drugs or reducing their doses.
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Rojas DA, Urbina F, Solari A, Maldonado E. RNA Polymerase II Transcription in Pneumocystis: TFIIB from Pneumocystis carinii Can Replace the Transcriptional Functions of Fission Yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe TFIIB In Vivo and In Vitro. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23126865. [PMID: 35743306 PMCID: PMC9225179 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23126865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The Pneumocystis genus is an opportunistic fungal pathogen that infects patients with AIDS and immunocompromised individuals. The study of this fungus has been hampered due to the inability to grow it in a (defined media/pure) culture. However, the use of modern molecular techniques and genomic analysis has helped researchers to understand its complex cell biology. The transcriptional process in the Pneumocystis genus has not been studied yet, although it is assumed that it has conventional transcriptional machinery. In this work, we have characterized the function of the RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) general transcription factor TFIIB from Pneumocystis carinii using the phylogenetically related biological model Schizosaccharomyces pombe. The results of this work show that Pneumocystis carinii TFIIB is able to replace the essential function of S. pombe TFIIB both in in vivo and in vitro assays. The S. pombe strain harboring the P carinii TFIIB grew slower than the parental wild-type S. pombe strain in complete media and in minimal media. The S. pombe cells carrying out the P. carinii TFIIB are larger than the wild-type cells, indicating that the TFIIB gene replacement confers a phenotype, most likely due to defects in transcription. P. carinii TFIIB forms very weak complexes with S. pombe TATA-binding protein on a TATA box promoter but it is able to form stable complexes in vitro when S. pombe TFIIF/RNAPII are added. P. carinii TFIIB can also replace the transcriptional function of S. pombe TFIIB in an in vitro assay. The transcription start sites (TSS) of the endogenous adh gene do not change when P. carinii TFIIB replaces S. pombe TFIIB, and neither does the TSS of the nmt1 gene, although this last gene is poorly transcribed in vivo in the presence of P. carinii TFIIB. Since transcription by RNA polymerase II in Pneumocystis is poorly understood, the results described in this study are promising and indicate that TFIIB from P. carinii can replace the transcriptional functions of S. pombe TFIIB, although the cells expressing the P. carini TFIIB show an altered phenotype. However, performing studies using a heterologous approach, like this one, could be relevant to understanding the basic molecular processes of Pneumocystis such as transcription and replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego A. Rojas
- Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas (ICB), Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago 8910132, Chile
- Correspondence: (D.A.R.); (E.M.)
| | - Fabiola Urbina
- Programa de Biología Celular y Molecular, ICBM, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8380492, Chile; (F.U.); (A.S.)
| | - Aldo Solari
- Programa de Biología Celular y Molecular, ICBM, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8380492, Chile; (F.U.); (A.S.)
| | - Edio Maldonado
- Programa de Biología Celular y Molecular, ICBM, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8380492, Chile; (F.U.); (A.S.)
- Correspondence: (D.A.R.); (E.M.)
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21
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Fröhlich E. Non-Cellular Layers of the Respiratory Tract: Protection against Pathogens and Target for Drug Delivery. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14050992. [PMID: 35631578 PMCID: PMC9143813 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14050992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial barriers separate the human body from the environment to maintain homeostasis. Compared to the skin and gastrointestinal tract, the respiratory barrier is the thinnest and least protective. The properties of the epithelial cells (height, number of layers, intercellular junctions) and non-cellular layers, mucus in the conducting airways and surfactant in the respiratory parts determine the permeability of the barrier. The review focuses on the non-cellular layers and describes the architecture of the mucus and surfactant followed by interaction with gases and pathogens. While the penetration of gases into the respiratory tract is mainly determined by their hydrophobicity, pathogens use different mechanisms to invade the respiratory tract. Often, the combination of mucus adhesion and subsequent permeation of the mucus mesh is used. Similar mechanisms are also employed to improve drug delivery across the respiratory barrier. Depending on the payload and target region, various mucus-targeting delivery systems have been developed. It appears that the mucus-targeting strategy has to be selected according to the planned application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonore Fröhlich
- Center for Medical Research, Medical University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria; ; Tel.: +43-316-38573011
- Research Center Pharmaceutical Engineering GmbH, 8010 Graz, Austria
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22
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Xue T, Du WQ, Dai WJ, Li YS, Wang SF, Wang JL, Zhang XR. Genetic Polymorphisms of Pneumocystis jirovecii in HIV-Positive and HIV-Negative Patients in Northern China. Pol J Microbiol 2022; 71:27-34. [PMID: 35635165 PMCID: PMC9152919 DOI: 10.33073/pjm-2022-002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Pneumocystis jirovecii is an opportunistic fungus that can cause severe and potentially fatal Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) in immunodeficient patients. In this study, we investigated the genetic polymorphisms of P. jirovecii at eight different loci, including six nuclear genes (ITS, 26S rRNA, sod, dhps, dhfr and β-Tub) and two mitochondrial genes (mtLSU-rRNA and cyb) in three PCP cases, including two patients with HIV infection and one without HIV infection in Shanxi Province, P.R. China. The gene targets were amplified by PCR followed by sequencing of plasmid clones. The HIV-negative patient showed a coinfection with two genotypes of P. jirovecii at six of the eight loci sequenced. Of the two HIV-positive patients, one showed a coinfection with two genotypes of P. jirovecii at the same two of the six loci as in the HIV-negative patient, while the other showed a single infection at all eight loci sequenced. None of the three drug target genes (dhfr, dhps and cyb) showed mutations known to be potentially associated with drug resistance. This is the first report of genetic polymorphisms of P. jirovecii in PCP patients in Shanxi Province, China. Our findings expand our understanding of the genetic diversity of P. jirovecii in China. ![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Xue
- NHC Key Laboratory of Pneumoconiosis, Key Laboratory of Prophylaxis and Treatment and Basic Research of Respiratory Diseases of Shanxi Province , Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine , First Affiliated Hospital of Shanxi Medical University , Taiyuan , P.R. China
| | - Wei-Qin Du
- Department of clinical inspection , Eleventh Affiliated Hospital of Shanxi Medical University , Lvliang , P.R. China
| | - Wen-Juan Dai
- NHC Key Laboratory of Pneumoconiosis, Key Laboratory of Prophylaxis and Treatment and Basic Research of Respiratory Diseases of Shanxi Province , Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine , First Affiliated Hospital of Shanxi Medical University , Taiyuan , P.R. China
| | - Yi-Shan Li
- NHC Key Laboratory of Pneumoconiosis, Key Laboratory of Prophylaxis and Treatment and Basic Research of Respiratory Diseases of Shanxi Province , Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine , First Affiliated Hospital of Shanxi Medical University , Taiyuan , P.R. China
| | - Shu-Feng Wang
- Department of Clinical Inspection , First Affiliated Hospital of Shanxi Medical University , Taiyuan , P.R. China
| | - Jun-Ling Wang
- Department of Translation Medicine , Jinzhou Medical University , Jinzhou , P.R. China
| | - Xin-Ri Zhang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Pneumoconiosis, Key Laboratory of Prophylaxis and Treatment and Basic Research of Respiratory Diseases of Shanxi Province , Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine , First Affiliated Hospital of Shanxi Medical University , Taiyuan , P.R. China
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23
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Liu L, Yuan M, Shi Y, Su X. Clinical Performance of BAL Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequence and Serum (1,3)-β-D-Glucan for Differential Diagnosis of Pneumocystis jirovecii Pneumonia and Pneumocystis jirovecii Colonisation. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 11:784236. [PMID: 35004353 PMCID: PMC8727434 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.784236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Differentiating Pneumocystis jirovecii infection from colonisation is crucial for appropriate therapy administration. In this study, we evaluated the performance of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL) metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) and serum 1,3-β-D-glucan (BDG) tests in differentiating colonisation and infection with P. jirovecii. Methods From January 2018 to March 2021, 47 patients were enrolled in this study at the Hunan Provincial People’s Hospital. The final diagnosis was used as a reference, and cases were classified into the P. jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) group or the P. jirovecii colonisation (PJC) group. Clinical data were recorded. The performances of mNGS and BDG were compared. Result The fungal load significantly differed between patients with PJP and PJC, with median reads of 3,215.79 ± 1,797 vs. 5.61 ± 0.88 in the PJP and PJC groups, respectively (P < 0.0001). BDG also significantly differed between the two groups, with a median titre of 233.60 ± 39.65 pg/ml in the PJP group and 68.48 ± 19.21 pg/ml in the PJC group (P = 0.0006). The area under the curve was 0.973 (95%CI: 0.868–1.007) for mNGS of the BAL and 0.879 (95%CI: 0.769–0.989) for the serum BDG. The optimal threshold value for discriminating P. jirovecii infection from colonisation appeared to be 14 reads (sensitivity, 83.3%; specificity, 95.7%; positive likelihood ratio, 19.2) and BDG = 88.6 pg/ml (sensitivity, 79.2%; specificity, 92.9%; positive likelihood ratio, 18.2). No correlation between mNGS reads and the BDG titre was found in mNGS-positive patients (r2 = 0.0076, P = 0.583). The levels of lactate dehydrogenase and C-reactive protein were significantly higher in the PJP group than in the PJC group. Conclusion BAL mNGS and serum BDG are useful adjunct tests that can assist with differentiating between colonisation and infection of P. jirovecii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Liu
- Department of Infectious Disease, Hunan Provincial People's Hospital (The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University), Changsha, China.,Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Jinling Hospital, The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Mingjuan Yuan
- Department of Infectious Disease, The Central Hospital of Yueyang, Yueyang, China
| | - Yi Shi
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xin Su
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Jinling Hospital, The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
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24
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Morovati H, Khodadadi H, Ahmadpour E, Nami S, Mohammadi R, Hosseini H, Behravan M. Global prevalence, mortality, and main risk factors for COVID-19 associated pneumocystosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis. ASIAN PAC J TROP MED 2022. [DOI: 10.4103/1995-7645.359784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
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25
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Vera C, Rueda ZV. Transmission and Colonization of Pneumocystis jirovecii. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7110979. [PMID: 34829266 PMCID: PMC8622989 DOI: 10.3390/jof7110979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Pneumocystis spp. was discovered in 1909 and was classified as a fungus in 1988. The species that infects humans is called P. jirovecii and important characteristics of its genome have recently been discovered. Important advances have been made to understand P. jirovecii, including aspects of its biology, evolution, lifecycle, and pathogenesis; it is now considered that the main route of transmission is airborne and that the infectious form is the asci (cyst), but it is unclear whether there is transmission by direct contact or droplet spread. On the other hand, P. jirovecii has been detected in respiratory secretions of hosts without causing disease, which has been termed asymptomatic carrier status or colonization (frequency in immunocompetent patients: 0–65%, pregnancy: 15.5%, children: 0–100%, HIV-positive patients: 20–69%, cystic fibrosis: 1–22%, and COPD: 16–55%). This article briefly describes the history of its discovery and the nomenclature of Pneumocystis spp., recently uncovered characteristics of its genome, and what research has been done on the transmission and colonization of P. jirovecii. Based on the literature, the authors of this review propose a hypothetical natural history of P. jirovecii infection in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristian Vera
- Grupo de Investigación en Salud Pública, Research Department, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Medellín 050031, Colombia
- Correspondence:
| | - Zulma Vanessa Rueda
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg RT3, Colombia;
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26
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Gcorn fungi: A Web Tool for Detecting Biases between Gene Evolution and Speciation in Fungi. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7110959. [PMID: 34829248 PMCID: PMC8624827 DOI: 10.3390/jof7110959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: Fungi contain several millions of species, and the diversification of fungal genes has been achieved by speciation, gene duplication, and horizontal gene transfer. Although several databases provide information on orthologous and paralogous events, these databases show no information on biases between gene mutation and speciation. Here, we designed the Gcorn fungi database to better understand such biases. (2) Methods: Amino acid sequences of fungal genes in 249 species, which contain 2,345,743 sequences, were used for this database. Homologous genes were grouped at various thresholds of the homology index, which was based on the percentages of gene mutations. By grouping genes that showed highly similar homology indices to each other, we showed functional and evolutionary traits in the phylogenetic tree depicted for the gene of interest. (3) Results: Gcorn fungi provides well-summarized information on the evolution of a gene lineage and on the biases between gene evolution and speciation, which are quantitatively identified by the Robinson–Foulds metric. The database helps users visualize these traits using various depictions. (4) Conclusions: Gcorn fungi is an open access database that provides a variety of information with which to understand gene function and evolution.
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27
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Goterris L, Pasic L, Murillo MG, Kan A, Anton A, Company JA, Ruiz-Camps I, Meyer W, Martin-Gomez MT. Pneumocystis jirovecii genetic diversity in a Spanish tertiary hospital. Med Mycol 2021; 60:6410670. [PMID: 34698858 DOI: 10.1093/mmy/myab065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 08/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Pneumocystis jirovecii is associated with non-noxious colonization or severe pneumonia in immunocompromised hosts. Epidemiological investigations have been hampered by the lack of a standardized typing scheme. Thus, only partial molecular data on Spanish P. jirovecii cases are available. Recently a new ISHAM consensus multilocus sequence typing scheme (MLST) targeting β-TUB, mt26S, CYB, and SOD with a publicly accessible database has been launched to overcome this problem.The molecular epidemiology of P. jirovecii from immunocompromised patients either colonized (n = 50) or having pneumonia (n = 36) seen between 2014 and 2018 at a single center in Barcelona, Spain, was studied. The new ISHAM consensus MSLT scheme was used to investigate the local epidemiology and identify possible unnoticed outbreaks. Mutations in the DHPS gene, not included in the scheme but giving information about potential sulpha treatment failure, were also studied. The study assigned 32 sequence types (ST) to 72.2% pneumonia and 56% colonization cases. The most frequent STs were ST21 (18.5%), ST22 (14.8%), and ST37(14.8%). For non-unique STs, ST3, ST30 and ST31 were found only in pneumonia cases, whereas ST27 was associated exclusively to colonization's. Despite 38 patients sharing similar STs, only two were involved in a potential cross transmission event. No DHPS mutations were identified. The new consensus typing scheme was useful to ascertain the molecular epidemiology of P. jirovecii in our center revealing a high genetic diversity and the potential association of specific STs to colonization and pneumonia cases. LAY SUMMARY A newly described MLST scheme aims at providing a standardized tool to study and compare Pneumocystis jirovecii epidemiology. A high diversity amongst P. jirovecii isolates from patients in Barcelona, Spain, and a potential association between specific STs and infection/colonization were identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidia Goterris
- Microbiology Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.,Genetics and Microbiology Department, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lana Pasic
- Molecular Mycology Research Laboratory, Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Westmead Clinical School, Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.,Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.,Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead, Australia
| | | | - Alex Kan
- Molecular Mycology Research Laboratory, Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Westmead Clinical School, Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.,Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.,Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead, Australia
| | - Andres Anton
- Microbiology Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.,Genetics and Microbiology Department, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Juan Aguilar Company
- Infectious Diseases Department, Vall d'Hebron Hospital Universitari, Barcelona, Spain.,Oncology Department, Vall d'Hebron Hospital Universitari, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Isabel Ruiz-Camps
- Infectious Diseases Department, Vall d'Hebron Hospital Universitari, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Wieland Meyer
- Molecular Mycology Research Laboratory, Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Westmead Clinical School, Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.,Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.,Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead, Australia.,Westmead Hospital (Research and Education Network), Westmead, Australia
| | - María Teresa Martin-Gomez
- Microbiology Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.,Genetics and Microbiology Department, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, Spain
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28
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Latinne A, Chen HW, Kuo CC, Lorica R, Singleton G, Stuart A, Malbas FF, Demanche C, Chabé M, Michaux J, Morand S. Revisiting the Pneumocystis host specificity paradigm and transmission ecology in wild Southeast Asian rodents. INFECTION, GENETICS AND EVOLUTION : JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2021; 93:104978. [PMID: 34175480 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2021.104978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2021] [Revised: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Pneumocystis fungi are opportunistic parasites of mammalian lungs whose evolution, ecology and host specificity in natural host populations remain poorly understood and controversial. Using an extensive collection of 731 lung samples from 27 rodent species sampled in five Southeast Asian countries, and nested PCR amplification of mitochondrial and nuclear genes, we investigated the host specificity and genetic structure of Pneumocystis lineages infecting wild rodents. We also identified the rodent species playing a central role in the transmission of these parasites using network analysis and centrality measurement and we characterized the environmental conditions allowing Pneumocystis infection in Southeast Asia using generalized linear mixed models. Building upon an unprecedented Pneumocystis sampling from numerous rodent species belonging to closely related genera, our findings provide compelling evidence that the host specificity of Pneumocystis lineages infecting rodents is not restricted to a single host species or genus as often presented in the literature but it encompasses much higher taxonomic levels and more distantly related rodent host species. The phylogenetic species status at both mitochondrial and nuclear genetic markers of at least three new Pneumocystis lineages, highly divergent from Pneumocystis species currently described, is also suggested by our data. Our models show that the probability of Pneumocystis infection in rodent hosts is positively correlated to environmental variables reflecting habitat fragmentation and landscape patchiness. Synanthropic and habitat-generalist rodents belonging to the Rattus, Sundamys and Bandicota genera played a role of bridge host species for Pneumocystis spreading in these heterogeneous habitats, where they can reach high population densities. These are critical findings improving our understanding of the ecology of these enigmatic parasites and the role played by cospeciation and host switches in their evolution. Our results also confirmed the role of land-use change and habitat fragmentation in parasite amplification and spillover in rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Latinne
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Viet Nam Country Program, Ha Noi, Viet Nam; Wildlife Conservation Society, Health Program, Bronx, NY, USA; Université de Liège, Laboratoire de Génétique de la Conservation, GeCoLAB, 4000 Liège, Belgium.
| | - Hsuan-Wien Chen
- Department of Biological Resources, National Chiayi University, Chiayi, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Chien Kuo
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Renee Lorica
- International Rice Research Institute, DAPO Box 7777, Metro Manila, Philippines
| | - Grant Singleton
- International Rice Research Institute, DAPO Box 7777, Metro Manila, Philippines; Natural Resource Institute, University of Greenwich, Chatham Maritime, Kent, UK
| | - Alex Stuart
- International Rice Research Institute, DAPO Box 7777, Metro Manila, Philippines
| | - Fedelino F Malbas
- Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, Department of Health, Muntinlupa, Metro Manila, Philippines
| | - Christine Demanche
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019-UMR 9017-CIIL-Centre d'Infection et d'Immunité de Lille, Lille, France
| | - Magali Chabé
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019-UMR 9017-CIIL-Centre d'Infection et d'Immunité de Lille, Lille, France
| | - Johan Michaux
- Université de Liège, Laboratoire de Génétique de la Conservation, GeCoLAB, 4000 Liège, Belgium; Animal Santé Territoire Risque Environnement- Unité Mixe de Recherche 117 (ASTRE) Univ. Montpellier, Centre International de Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, 34398 Montpellier, France
| | - Serge Morand
- University of Montpellier, Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution, CNRS-IRD, Montpellier, France; University of Kasetsart, Faculty of Veterinary Technology, ASTRE-CIRAD, Bangkok, Thailand
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29
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BİLEK HC, DEVECİ A, TANYEL E. Pneumocystis Jirovecii Pneumonia In HIV-Infected Patients: A Single Center Experience. MUSTAFA KEMAL ÜNIVERSITESI TIP DERGISI 2021. [DOI: 10.17944/mkutfd.911354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
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30
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Cabañes FJ. Pneumocystis in dogs: A protozoan knockin' on Fungi's door. Rev Iberoam Micol 2021; 38:155-156. [PMID: 34059449 DOI: 10.1016/j.riam.2021.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Javier Cabañes
- Veterinary Mycology Group, Department of Animal Health and Anatomy, Veterinary School, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.
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31
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Azar MM, Cohen E, Ma L, Cissé OH, Gan G, Deng Y, Belfield K, Asch W, Grant M, Gleeson S, Koff A, Gaston DC, Topal J, Curran S, Kulkarni S, Kovacs JA, Malinis M. Genetic and Epidemiologic Analyses of an Outbreak of Pneumocystis jirovecii Pneumonia among Kidney Transplant Recipients in the United States. Clin Infect Dis 2021; 74:639-647. [PMID: 34017984 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciab474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pneumocystis jiroveciii is an opportunistic fungus that causes Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) in immunocompromised hosts. Over an 11-month period, we observed a rise in cases of PCP among kidney-transplant recipients (KTR), prompting an outbreak investigation. METHODS Clinical and epidemiologic data were collected for KTR diagnosed with PCP between July 2019 and May 2020. Pneumocystis strain typing was performed using restriction fragment length polymorphism analyses and multilocus sequence typing in combination with next-generation sequencing. A transmission map was drawn, and a case-control analysis was performed to determine risk factors associated with PCP. RESULTS Nineteen cases of PCP in KTR were diagnosed at a median of 79 months post-transplantation; eight received monthly belatacept infusions. Baseline characteristics were similar for KTR on belatacept versus other regimens; the number of clinic visits was numerically higher for the belatacept group during the study period (median 7.5 vs 3). Molecular typing of respiratory specimens from nine patients revealed coinfection with up to seven P. jirovecii strains per patient. A transmission map suggested multiple clusters of interhuman transmission. In a case-control univariate analysis, belatacept, lower absolute lymphocyte count, non-White race, and more transplant clinic visits were associated with an increased risk of PCP. In multivariate and prediction power estimate analyses, frequent clinic visits was the strongest risk factor for PCP. CONCLUSION Increased clinic exposure appeared to facilitate multiple clusters of nosocomial PCP transmission among KTR. Belatacept was a risk factor for PCP, possibly by increasing clinic exposure through the need for frequent visits for monthly infusions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marwan M Azar
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven CT, USA
| | - Elizabeth Cohen
- Kidney Transplantation Program, Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Liang Ma
- Critical Care Medicine Department, NIH Clinical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Ousmane H Cissé
- Critical Care Medicine Department, NIH Clinical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Geliang Gan
- Yale Center for Analytical Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven CT, USA
| | - Yanhong Deng
- Yale Center for Analytical Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven CT, USA
| | - Kristen Belfield
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Nephrology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven CT, USA
| | - William Asch
- Kidney Transplantation Program, Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT, USA.,Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Nephrology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven CT, USA
| | - Matthew Grant
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven CT, USA
| | - Shana Gleeson
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven CT, USA
| | - Alan Koff
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, UC Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - David C Gaston
- Department of Pathology, Division of Medical Microbiology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jeffrey Topal
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven CT, USA
| | - Shelly Curran
- Critical Care Medicine Department, NIH Clinical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Sanjay Kulkarni
- Kidney Transplantation Program, Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT, USA.,Department of Surgery, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven CT, USA
| | - Joseph A Kovacs
- Critical Care Medicine Department, NIH Clinical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Maricar Malinis
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven CT, USA.,Department of Surgery, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven CT, USA
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Application of metagenomic next-generation sequencing in the diagnosis and treatment guidance of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia in renal transplant recipients. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 2021; 40:1933-1942. [PMID: 33880744 PMCID: PMC8057919 DOI: 10.1007/s10096-021-04254-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) is difficult to be diagnosed, so this study explored if PJP could be diagnosed by metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) and if mNGS could guide the therapy of PJP. mNGS was successfully diagnosed 13 out of 14 PJP recipients with 11 through peripheral blood samples, verified by PCR. Ten non-PJP recipients were enrolled as the control group. Blood tests revealed a high β-D-glucan (BDG) level in all recipients with PJP during the hospitalization. Four (28.6%) of 14 PJP patients were infected with cytomegalovirus simultaneously, while 8 (57.1%) suffered from a combined infection caused by Torque teno virus. Five (35.7%) of 14 cases died of PJP or the subsequent bacteremias/bacterial pneumonia with a longer interval between the onset and diagnosis of/the available therapy against PJP than survival cases. Univariate analysis of characteristics between PJP and non-PJP recipients revealed that BDG assays was higher at the admission in PJP group (P =0.011). This present study supports the value of mNGS detection of blood sample in diagnosing PJP, which could assist clinical decision for therapy against PJ and improve outcome of PJP. The study also highlights the sensitivity of BDG assays. Cytomegalovirus and Torque teno virus infections often occur at the same time of PJP, thus can be alerts of PJP.
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COVID-19 and Pneumocystis jirovecii Pulmonary Coinfection-The First Case Confirmed through Autopsy. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021; 57:medicina57040302. [PMID: 33804963 PMCID: PMC8063940 DOI: 10.3390/medicina57040302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Background: Establishing the diagnosis of COVID-19 and Pneumocystisjirovecii pulmonary coinfection is difficult due to clinical and radiological similarities that exist between the two disorders. For the moment, fungal coinfections are underestimated in COVID-19 patients. Case presentation: We report the case of a 52-year-old male patient, who presented to the emergency department for severe dyspnea and died 17 h later. The RT-PCR test performed at his admission was negative for SARS-CoV-2. Retesting of lung fragments collected during autopsy revealed a positive result for SARS-CoV-2. Histopathological examination showed preexisting lesions, due to comorbidities, as well as recent lesions: massive lung thromboses, alveolar exudate rich in foam cells, suprapleural and intra-alveolar Pneumocystisjirovecii cystic forms, and bilateral adrenal hemorrhage. Conclusion: COVID-19 and P.jirovecii coinfection should be considered, particularly in critically ill patients, and we recommend the systematic search for P. jirovecii in respiratory samples.
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Kimura Y, Flynn LJ, Jacobs LL. Tempo and Mode: Evidence on a Protracted Split From a Dense Fossil Record. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.642814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Fossil records generally inform paleobiologists about extinct taxa and rates of evolution measured at the scale of millions of years. Good records that are densely sampled through time can reveal species level details such as longevity in local sections. Yet fossil data normally do not address details of lineage microevolution because the density through time of lineage sampling is insufficient to perceive patterns at a precision finer than 106 years in most cases. This study concerns details of a splitting event in the evolution of murine rodents, an event for which multiple fossil samples dated to a precision of 105 years fortuitously document the tempo and mode of origin of sister species, the stems of two extant tribes of mice. Evolution of early Murinae in the northern part of the biogeographically restricted Indian subcontinent between 11.6 and 10.5 Ma involved cladogenesis of two crown taxa, the extant tribes Murini and Arvicanthini. Large samples of fossil rodent teeth document their divergence from a common morphological pool. Definitive basal Murini and Arvicanthini at 10.5 Ma are similar in size and differ by subtle features of the dentition. Those features occur sporadically in the common pool of older fossil teeth at 11.2, 11.4, and 11.6 Ma as inconsistent polymorphisms. Interpreted as a single lineage in the 11.6–11.2 Ma interval, variability of this abundant murine incorporated the roots of the two crown tribes. The pattern through time suggests morphological stasis for several hundred thousand years prior to splitting. This special case informs us on one example of evolution and shows that the tempo of splitting evolution in some cases may be measured in hundreds of thousands of years, followed by stasis once daughter species have differentiated morphologically.
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Gurbuz CE, Delibas SB, Alpaydin AO, Sayiner AA, Ozkoc S. Genetic diversity of Pneumocystis jirovecii isolates among Turkish population based on mitochondrial large subunit ribosomal RNA and dihydropteroate synthase gene typing. Med Mycol 2021; 59:813-820. [PMID: 33709136 DOI: 10.1093/mmy/myab004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2020] [Revised: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Pneumocystis jirovecii (P. jirovecii) is an atypical fungus that can cause severe interstitial pneumonia in immunocompromised patients. In this study, mitochondrial large subunit ribosomal RNA (mtLSU-rRNA) and dihydropteroate synthase (DHPS) gene polymorphism in P. jirovecii isolates were investigated in Western Turkey's Izmir province and its surroundings. For this purpose, a total of 157 P. jirovecii isolates obtained from bronchoalveolar lavage samples of hospitalized cases and lung tissue samples of autopsy cases who died outside hospital were examined. Genotypes were identified by direct sequencing of mtLSU-rRNA restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of the DHPS gene amplicons. The mtLSU-rRNA analysis revealed that genotype 2 was the most common genotype with 58%. The following genotypes were genotype 3 (13%), genotype 1 (11.6%) and genotype 4 (5.1%), while genotype 5 (0.7%) was detected in only one autopsy case. In addition, 16 (11.6%) cases had dual or triple different genotypes (mixed infection). It was observed that the genotype distribution was not affected by characteristics such as age, gender and immune status. However, the predominance of genotype 2 in solid organ tumors and the predominance of mixed infection in patients with chronic pulmonary disease were statistically significant. On the other hand, DHPS gene amplification was positive in 137 (87.3%) of 157 samples. While no mutation was observed in 135 samples, the association of wild-type and 57th codon mutation was detected in two hospitalized cases (1.5%). In this study, important epidemiological data on the distribution of mtLSU-rRNA genotypes were obtained. Also the existence of DHPS gene mutations associated with potential drug resistance in our community was shown for the first time. Further studies are needed to evaluate the possible effects of genotypes on the prognosis of the disease to help with the clinician's treatment decisions. LAY ABSTRACT Pneumocystis jirovecii (P. jirovecii) is an atypical fungus that can cause life-threatening pneumonia in immunocompromised patients. In this study, we investigated the mtLSU-rRNA and DHPS gene polymorphisms in P. jirovecii isolates from both hospital and autopsy cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ceren Erguden Gurbuz
- Department of Medical Parasitology, Dokuz Eylul University Faculty of Medicine, 35340 Izmir, Turkey
| | - Songul Bayram Delibas
- Department of Medical Parasitology, Dokuz Eylul University Faculty of Medicine, 35340 Izmir, Turkey
| | - Aylin Ozgen Alpaydin
- Department of Pulmonary Diseases, Dokuz Eylul University Faculty of Medicine, 35340 Izmir, Turkey
| | - Ayca Arzu Sayiner
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Dokuz Eylul University Faculty of Medicine, 35340 Izmir, Turkey
| | - Soykan Ozkoc
- Department of Medical Parasitology, Dokuz Eylul University Faculty of Medicine, 35340 Izmir, Turkey
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Nev OA, Lindsay RJ, Jepson A, Butt L, Beardmore RE, Gudelj I. Predicting microbial growth dynamics in response to nutrient availability. PLoS Comput Biol 2021; 17:e1008817. [PMID: 33735173 PMCID: PMC8009381 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Developing mathematical models to accurately predict microbial growth dynamics remains a key challenge in ecology, evolution, biotechnology, and public health. To reproduce and grow, microbes need to take up essential nutrients from the environment, and mathematical models classically assume that the nutrient uptake rate is a saturating function of the nutrient concentration. In nature, microbes experience different levels of nutrient availability at all environmental scales, yet parameters shaping the nutrient uptake function are commonly estimated for a single initial nutrient concentration. This hampers the models from accurately capturing microbial dynamics when the environmental conditions change. To address this problem, we conduct growth experiments for a range of micro-organisms, including human fungal pathogens, baker's yeast, and common coliform bacteria, and uncover the following patterns. We observed that the maximal nutrient uptake rate and biomass yield were both decreasing functions of initial nutrient concentration. While a functional form for the relationship between biomass yield and initial nutrient concentration has been previously derived from first metabolic principles, here we also derive the form of the relationship between maximal nutrient uptake rate and initial nutrient concentration. Incorporating these two functions into a model of microbial growth allows for variable growth parameters and enables us to substantially improve predictions for microbial dynamics in a range of initial nutrient concentrations, compared to keeping growth parameters fixed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga A. Nev
- Biosciences and Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Richard J. Lindsay
- Biosciences and Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Alys Jepson
- Biosciences and Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Lisa Butt
- Biosciences and Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Robert E. Beardmore
- Biosciences and Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Ivana Gudelj
- Biosciences and Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
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Pulmonary Manifestations of Immunodeficiency and Immunosuppressive Diseases Other than Human Immunodeficiency Virus. Pediatr Clin North Am 2021; 68:103-130. [PMID: 33228927 DOI: 10.1016/j.pcl.2020.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Immune deficiencies may alter normal lung function and protective mechanisms, resulting in a myriad of pulmonary manifestations. Primary immunodeficiencies involve multiple branches of the immune system, and defects may predispose to recurrent upper and lower respiratory infections by common pathogens; opportunistic infections; and autoimmune, inflammatory, and malignant processes that may result in interstitial pneumonias. Secondary immunodeficiencies may result from neoplasms or their treatment, organ transplant and immunosuppression, and from autoimmune diseases and their treatments. Primary and secondary immunodeficiencies and their pulmonary manifestations may be difficult to diagnose and treat. A multidisciplinary approach to evaluation is essential.
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38
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Bateman M, Oladele R, Kolls JK. Diagnosing Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia: A review of current methods and novel approaches. Med Mycol 2020; 58:1015-1028. [PMID: 32400869 PMCID: PMC7657095 DOI: 10.1093/mmy/myaa024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2019] [Revised: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pneumocystis jirovecii can cause life-threatening pneumonia in immunocompromised patients. Traditional diagnostic testing has relied on staining and direct visualization of the life-forms in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. This method has proven insensitive, and invasive procedures may be needed to obtain adequate samples. Molecular methods of detection such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR), loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), and antibody-antigen assays have been developed in an effort to solve these problems. These techniques are very sensitive and have the potential to detect Pneumocystis life-forms in noninvasive samples such as sputum, oral washes, nasopharyngeal aspirates, and serum. This review evaluates 100 studies that compare use of various diagnostic tests for Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) in patient samples. Novel diagnostic methods have been widely used in the research setting but have faced barriers to clinical implementation including: interpretation of low fungal burdens, standardization of techniques, integration into resource-poor settings, poor understanding of the impact of host factors, geographic variations in the organism, heterogeneity of studies, and limited clinician recognition of PCP. Addressing these barriers will require identification of phenotypes that progress to PCP and diagnostic cut-offs for colonization, generation of life-form specific markers, comparison of commercial PCR assays, investigation of cost-effective point of care options, evaluation of host factors such as HIV status that may impact diagnosis, and identification of markers of genetic diversity that may be useful in diagnostic panels. Performing high-quality studies and educating physicians will be crucial to improve the rates of diagnosis of PCP and ultimately to improve patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marjorie Bateman
- Center for Translational Research in Infection and Inflammation, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70122, USA
| | - Rita Oladele
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Nigeria
| | - Jay K Kolls
- Center for Translational Research in Infection and Inflammation, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70122, USA
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Consensus Multilocus Sequence Typing Scheme for Pneumocystis jirovecii. J Fungi (Basel) 2020; 6:jof6040259. [PMID: 33143112 PMCID: PMC7711988 DOI: 10.3390/jof6040259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Revised: 10/10/2020] [Accepted: 10/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Pneumocystis jirovecii is an opportunistic human pathogenic fungus causing severe pneumonia mainly in immunocompromised hosts. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) remains the gold standard for genotyping of this unculturable fungus. However, the lack of a consensus scheme impedes a global comparison, large scale population studies and the development of a global MLST database. To overcome this problem this study compared all genetic regions (19 loci) currently used in 31 different published Pneumocystis MLST schemes. The most diverse/commonly used eight loci, β-TUB, CYB, DHPS, ITS1, ITS1/2, mt26S and SOD, were further assess for their ability to be successfully amplified and sequenced, and for their discriminatory power. The most successful loci were tested to identify genetically related and unrelated cases. A new consensus MLST scheme consisting of four genetically independent loci: β-TUB, CYB, mt26S and SOD, is herein proposed for standardised P. jirovecii typing, successfully amplifying low and high fungal burden specimens, showing adequate discriminatory power, and correctly identifying suspected related and unrelated isolates. The new consensus MLST scheme, if accepted, will for the first time provide a powerful tool to investigate outbreak settings and undertake global epidemiological studies shedding light on the spread of this important human fungal pathogen.
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40
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Liu B, Totten M, Nematollahi S, Datta K, Memon W, Marimuthu S, Wolf LA, Carroll KC, Zhang SX. Development and Evaluation of a Fully Automated Molecular Assay Targeting the Mitochondrial Small Subunit rRNA Gene for the Detection of Pneumocystis jirovecii in Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid Specimens. J Mol Diagn 2020; 22:1482-1493. [PMID: 33069878 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmoldx.2020.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Revised: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The fungal pathogen Pneumocystis jirovecii causes Pneumocystis pneumonia. Although the mitochondrial large subunit rRNA gene (mtLSU) is commonly used as a PCR target, a mitochondrial small subunit rRNA gene (mtSSU)-targeted MultiCode PCR assay was developed on the fully automated ARIES platform for detection of P. jirovecii in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid specimens in 2.5 hours. The assay showed a limit of detection of 800 copies/mL (approximately equal to 22 organisms/mL), with no cross-reactivity with other respiratory pathogens. Compared with the reference Pneumocystis-specific direct fluorescent antibody assay (DFA) and mtLSU-targeted PCR assay, the new assay demonstrated sensitivity of 96.9% (31/32) and specificity of 94.6% (139/147) in detecting P. jirovecii in 180 clinical bronchoalveolar lavage fluid specimens. This assay was concordant with all DFA-positive samples and all but one mtLSU PCR-positive sample, and detected eight positive samples that were negative by DFA and mtLSU PCR. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed an area under the curve of 0.98 and a threshold cycle (CT) cutoff of 39.1 with sensitivity of 90.9% and specificity of 99.3%. The detection of 39.1 <CT < 40.0 indicates the presence of a low load of the organism and needs further determination of either colonization or probable/possible Pneumocystis pneumonia. Overall, the new assay demonstrates excellent analytical and clinical performance and may be more sensitive than mtLSU PCR target for the detection of P. jirovecii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baoming Liu
- Division of Medical Microbiology, Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Marissa Totten
- Division of Medical Microbiology, Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Saman Nematollahi
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Kausik Datta
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Warda Memon
- Microbiology Laboratory, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Subathra Marimuthu
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky
| | - Leslie A Wolf
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky
| | - Karen C Carroll
- Division of Medical Microbiology, Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Microbiology Laboratory, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Sean X Zhang
- Division of Medical Microbiology, Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Microbiology Laboratory, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland.
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Flandre TD, Piaia A, Cary MG. Biologic Immunomodulatory Drugs and Infection in the Respiratory Tract of Nonhuman Primates. Toxicol Pathol 2020; 49:397-407. [PMID: 32873219 DOI: 10.1177/0192623320946705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Though rare due to measures and practices to control the risk, infections can occur in research and toxicology studies, especially in nonhuman primates (NHPs) exposed to xenobiotics, particularly immunomodulatory drugs. With such xenobiotics, immunocompromised or immunosuppressed animals will not be able to mount a protective response to infection by an opportunistic pathogen (bacteria, virus, parasite, or fungus) that might otherwise be nonpathogenic and remain clinically asymptomatic in immunocompetent animals. The respiratory tract is one of the most commonly affected systems in clinic, but also in toxicology studies. Pulmonary inflammation will be the main finding associated with opportunistic infections and may cause overt clinical disease with even early sacrifice or death, and may compromise or complicate the pathology evaluation. It is important to properly differentiate the various features of infection, to be aware of the range of possible opportunistic pathogens and how they may impact the interpretation of pathology findings. This review will present the most common bacterial, viral, parasitic, and fungal infections observed in the respiratory tract in NHPs during research and/or toxicology studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thierry D Flandre
- 98560Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Alessandro Piaia
- 98560Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
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42
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Chen J, He T, Li X, Wang X, Peng L, Ma L. Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing in Diagnosis of a Case of Pneumocystis jirovecii Pneumonia in a Kidney Transplant Recipient and Literature Review. Infect Drug Resist 2020; 13:2829-2836. [PMID: 32884306 PMCID: PMC7431457 DOI: 10.2147/idr.s257587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Despite the increasing incidences of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) in renal transplant recipients, diagnosis of PCP remains challenging due to its nonspecific clinical presentation and the inadequate performance of conventional diagnostic methods. There is a need for novel diagnostic methods. Case Presentation A 27-year-old woman developed acute pneumonia 4 months after renal transplantation. Blood tests revealed a low CD4 count, a normal 1,3-beta-D-glucan level and other changes typical of inflammatory responses. Chest imaging showed bilateral diffuse infiltrates. Microscopic examination of stained sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) smear specimens did not find Pneumocystis organisms. There was also no evidence for other pathogens known to cause pneumonia in various antibody and culture tests. Direct metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) analysis of a BALF specimen identified a large number of P. jirovecii reads, allowing to confirm the diagnosis of PCP. Following treatment with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole for two weeks, the patient was cured and discharged. Conclusion This case report supports the value of mNGS in diagnosing PCP, highlights the inadequate sensitivity of conventional diagnostic methods for PCP, and calls for the need to add PCP prophylaxis to the current Diagnosis and Treatment Guideline of Invasive Fungal Infections in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients in China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Chen
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Ting He
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiujun Li
- Department of Pathology, College of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Xue Wang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Li Peng
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Liang Ma
- Critical Care Medicine Department, NIH Clinical Center, Bethesda, MD, USA
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43
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Varona S, Lavín JL, Oguiza JA. Secretomes of medically important fungi reflect morphological and phylogenetic diversity. Fungal Biol 2020; 124:915-923. [PMID: 33059843 DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2020.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Revised: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Secretome represents a main target for understanding the mechanisms of fungal adaptation. In the present study, we focus on the secretomes of fungi associated with infections in humans and other mammals in order to explore relationships between the diverse morphological and phylogenetic groups. Almost all the mammalian pathogenic fungi analyzed have secretome sizes smaller than 1000 proteins and, secreted proteins comprise between 5% and 10% of the total proteome. As expected, the correlation pattern between the secretome size and the total proteome was similar to that described in previous secretome studies of fungi. With regard to the morphological groups, minimum secretome sizes of less than 250 secreted proteins and low values for the fraction of secreted proteins are shown in mammalian pathogenic fungi with reduced proteomes such as microsporidia, atypical fungi and some species of yeasts and yeast-like fungi (Malassezia). On the other hand, filamentous fungi have significantly more secreted proteins and the highest numbers are present in species of filamentous fungi that also are plant or insect pathogens (Fusarium verticilloides, Fusarium oxysporum and Basidiobolus meristosporus). With respect to phylogeny, there are also variations in secretome size across fungal subphyla: Microsporidia, Taphrinomycotina, Ustilagomycotina and Saccharomycotina contain small secretomes; whereas larger secretomes are found in Agaricomycotina, Pezizomycotina, Mucoromycotina and Entomophthoromycotina. Finally, principal component analysis (PCA) was conducted on the complete secretomes. The PCA results revealed that, in general, secretomes of fungi belonging to the same morphological group or subphyla cluster together. In conclusion, our results point out that in medically important fungi there is a relationship between the secretome and the morphological group or phylogenetic classification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarai Varona
- Bioinformatics Unit, CIC BioGUNE-BRTA, Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - José L Lavín
- Bioinformatics Unit, CIC BioGUNE-BRTA, Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain.
| | - José A Oguiza
- Genetics, Genomics and Microbiology Research Group, Institute for Multidisciplinary Research in Applied Biology (IMAB), Universidad Pública de Navarra, 31006, Pamplona, Spain.
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De Carolis E, Marchionni F, Torelli R, Angela MG, Pagano L, Murri R, De Pascale G, De Angelis G, Sanguinetti M, Posteraro B. Comparative performance evaluation of Wako β-glucan test and Fungitell assay for the diagnosis of invasive fungal diseases. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0236095. [PMID: 32726358 PMCID: PMC7390339 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0236095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2019] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The Fungitell assay (FA) and the Wako β-glucan test (GT) are employed to measure the serum/plasma 1,3-β-D-glucan (BDG), a well-known invasive fungal disease biomarker. Data to convincingly and/or sufficiently support the GT as a valuable alternative to the FA are yet limited. In this study, we evaluated the FA and the GT to diagnose invasive aspergillosis (IA), invasive candidiasis (IC), and Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP). The FA and GT performances were compared in sera of patients with IA (n = 40), IC (n = 78), and PJP (n = 17) with respect to sera of control patients (n = 187). Using the manufacturer’s cutoff values of 80 pg/mL and 11 pg/mL, the sensitivity and specificity for IA diagnosis were 92.5% and 99.5% for the FA and 60.0% and 99.5% for the GT, respectively; for IC diagnosis were 100.0% and 97.3% for the FA and 91.0% and 99.5% for the GT, respectively; for PJP diagnosis were 100.0% and 97.3% for the FA and 88.2% and 99.5% for the GT, respectively. When an optimized cutoff value of 7.0 pg/mL for the GT was used, the sensitivity and specificity were 80.0% and 97.3% for IA diagnosis, 98.7% and 97.3% for IC diagnosis, and 94.1% and 97.3% for PJP diagnosis, respectively. At the 7.0-pg/mL GT cutoff, the agreement between the assays remained and/or became excellent for IA (95.1%), IC (97.3%), and PJP (96.5%), respectively. In conclusion, we show that the GT performed as well as the FA only with a lowered cutoff value for positivity. Further studies are expected to establish the equivalence of the two BDG assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena De Carolis
- Dipartimento di Scienze di Laboratorio e Infettivologiche, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Federica Marchionni
- Dipartimento di Scienze di Laboratorio e Infettivologiche, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Riccardo Torelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze di Laboratorio e Infettivologiche, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Morandotti Grazia Angela
- Dipartimento di Scienze di Laboratorio e Infettivologiche, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Livio Pagano
- Dipartimento di Diagnostica per Immagini, Radioterapia, Oncologia ed Ematologia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Rita Murri
- Dipartimento di Scienze di Laboratorio e Infettivologiche, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Gennaro De Pascale
- Dipartimento di Scienze dell’Emergenza, Anestesiologiche e della Rianimazione, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia De Angelis
- Dipartimento di Scienze di Laboratorio e Infettivologiche, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biotecnologiche di Base, Cliniche Intensivologiche e Perioperatorie, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Maurizio Sanguinetti
- Dipartimento di Scienze di Laboratorio e Infettivologiche, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biotecnologiche di Base, Cliniche Intensivologiche e Perioperatorie, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- * E-mail:
| | - Brunella Posteraro
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biotecnologiche di Base, Cliniche Intensivologiche e Perioperatorie, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze Gastroenterologiche, Endocrino-Metaboliche e Nefro-Urologiche, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
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45
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Osman M, Al Bikai A, Rafei R, Mallat H, Dabboussi F, Hamze M. Update on invasive fungal infections in the Middle Eastern and North African region. Braz J Microbiol 2020; 51:1771-1789. [PMID: 32623654 PMCID: PMC7335363 DOI: 10.1007/s42770-020-00325-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In the recent years, the epidemiology of invasive fungal infections (IFIs) has changed worldwide. This is remarkably noticed with the significant increase in high-risk populations. Although surveillance of such infections is essential, data in the Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) region remain scarce. In this paper, we reviewed the existing data on the epidemiology of different IFIs in the MENA region. Epidemiological surveillance is crucial to guide optimal healthcare practices. This study can help to guide appropriate interventions and to implement antimicrobial stewardship and infection prevention and control programs in countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marwan Osman
- Laboratoire Microbiologie Santé et Environnement (LMSE), Doctoral School of Science and Technology, Faculty of Public Health, Lebanese University, Tripoli, Lebanon
| | - Aisha Al Bikai
- Laboratoire Microbiologie Santé et Environnement (LMSE), Doctoral School of Science and Technology, Faculty of Public Health, Lebanese University, Tripoli, Lebanon
| | - Rayane Rafei
- Laboratoire Microbiologie Santé et Environnement (LMSE), Doctoral School of Science and Technology, Faculty of Public Health, Lebanese University, Tripoli, Lebanon
| | - Hassan Mallat
- Laboratoire Microbiologie Santé et Environnement (LMSE), Doctoral School of Science and Technology, Faculty of Public Health, Lebanese University, Tripoli, Lebanon
| | - Fouad Dabboussi
- Laboratoire Microbiologie Santé et Environnement (LMSE), Doctoral School of Science and Technology, Faculty of Public Health, Lebanese University, Tripoli, Lebanon
| | - Monzer Hamze
- Laboratoire Microbiologie Santé et Environnement (LMSE), Doctoral School of Science and Technology, Faculty of Public Health, Lebanese University, Tripoli, Lebanon.
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Xue T, Ma Z, Liu F, Du W, He L, Wang J, An C. Pneumocystis jirovecii colonization and its association with pulmonary diseases: a multicenter study based on a modified loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay. BMC Pulm Med 2020; 20:70. [PMID: 32197601 PMCID: PMC7085144 DOI: 10.1186/s12890-020-1111-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Pneumocystis jirovecii (P. jirovecii) is an opportunistic fungal pathogen and the role of its colonization in pulmonary diseases has become a popular focus in recent years. The aim of this study was to develop a modified loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay for detection of Pneumocystis jirovecii (P. jirovecii) DNA amongst non-HIV patients with various pulmonary diseases and use it to examine the prevalence and assess the association of P. jirovecii colonization with clinical characteristics of these diseases. Methods We modified the previously reported LAMP assay for P. jirovecii by adding real-time detection. This method was used to detect P. jirovecii colonization in pulmonary samples collected from 403 non-HIV patients with various pulmonary diseases enrolled from 5 hospitals in China. We determined the prevalence of P. jirovecii colonization in 7 types of pulmonary diseases and assessed the association of P. jirovecii colonization with clinical characteristics of these diseases. Results The modified LAMP assay showed no cross-reactivity with other common pulmonary microbes and was 1000 times more sensitive than that of conventional PCR. Using the modified LAMP assay, we detected P. jirovecii colonization in 281 (69.7%) of the 403 patients enrolled. P. jirovecii colonization was more common in interstitial lung diseases than in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (84.6% vs 64.5%, P < 0.05). Patients with acute exacerbation of COPD had a higher prevalence of P. jirovecii colonization compared to patients with stabilized COPD (67.4% vs 43.3%, P < 0.05). P. jirovecii colonization was associated with decreased pulmonary function, increased levels of 1,3-β-D-glucan and C-reactive protein, and decreased levels of CD4+ T-cell counts (P < 0.05 for each). Approximately 70% of P. jirovecii colonized patients had confections with other fungi or bacteria. Conclusions We developed a modified LAMP assay for detecting P. jirovecii. Our multi-center study of 403 patients supports that P. jirovecii colonization is a risk factor for the development of pulmonary diseases and highlights the need to further study the pathogenesis and transmission of P. jirovecii colonization in pulmonary diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Xue
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, College of Basic Medical Science, China Medical University, 77 Puhe Road, Shenyang, People's Republic of China.,Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhuang Ma
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, General Hospital of Shenyang Military Command, Shenyang, People's Republic of China
| | - Fan Liu
- Department of Respiratory Internal Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, People's Republic of China
| | - Weiqin Du
- Department of Medical Laboratory, the Eleventh Affiliated Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Lvliang, People's Republic of China
| | - Li He
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, College of Basic Medical Science, China Medical University, 77 Puhe Road, Shenyang, People's Republic of China
| | - Jinyan Wang
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Science, China Medical University, Shenyang, People's Republic of China
| | - Chunli An
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, College of Basic Medical Science, China Medical University, 77 Puhe Road, Shenyang, People's Republic of China.
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Abstract
Environmental exposure has a significant impact on human health. While some airborne fungi can cause life-threatening infections, the impact of environment on fungal spore dispersal and transmission is poorly understood. The democratization of shotgun metagenomics allows us to explore important questions about fungal propagation. We focus on Pneumocystis, a genus of host-specific fungi that infect mammals via airborne particles. In humans, Pneumocystis jirovecii causes lethal infections in immunocompromised patients if untreated, although its environmental reservoir and transmission route remain unclear. Environmental exposure has a significant impact on human health. While some airborne fungi can cause life-threatening infections, the impact of environment on fungal spore dispersal and transmission is poorly understood. The democratization of shotgun metagenomics allows us to explore important questions about fungal propagation. We focus on Pneumocystis, a genus of host-specific fungi that infect mammals via airborne particles. In humans, Pneumocystis jirovecii causes lethal infections in immunocompromised patients if untreated, although its environmental reservoir and transmission route remain unclear. Here, we attempt to clarify, by analyzing human exposome metagenomic data sets, whether humans are exposed to different Pneumocystis species present in the air but only P. jirovecii cells are able to replicate or whether they are selectively exposed to P. jirovecii. Our analysis supports the latter hypothesis, which is consistent with a local transmission model. These data also suggest that healthy carriers are a major driver for the transmission.
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48
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Danesi P, Corrò M, Falcaro C, Carminato A, Furlanello T, Cocchi M, Krockenberger MB, Meyer W, Capelli G, Malik R. Molecular detection of Pneumocystis in the lungs of cats. Med Mycol 2020; 57:813-824. [PMID: 30566653 PMCID: PMC7107658 DOI: 10.1093/mmy/myy139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2018] [Revised: 11/09/2018] [Accepted: 11/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The genus Pneumocystis comprises potential pathogens that reside normally in the lungs of a wide range of mammals. Although they generally behave as transient or permanent commensals, they can occasionally cause life-threatening pneumonia (Pneumocystis pneumonia; PCP) in immunosuppressed individuals. Several decades ago, the presence of Pneumocystis morphotypes (trophic forms and cysts) was described in the lungs of normal cats and cats with experimentally induced symptomatic PCP (after immunosuppression by corticosteroids); yet to date spontaneous or drug-induced PCP has not been described in the clinical feline literature, despite immunosuppression of cats by long-standing retrovirus infections or after kidney transplantation. In this study, we describe the presence of Pneumocystis DNA in the lungs of normal cats (that died of various unrelated causes; n = 84) using polymerase chain reactions (PCRs) targeting the mitochondrial small and large subunit ribosomal RNA gene (mtSSU rRNA and mtLSU rRNA). The presence of Pneumocystis DNA was confirmed by sequencing in 24/84 (29%) cats, with evidence of two different sequence types (or lineages). Phylogenetically, lineage1 (L1; 19 cats) and lineage 2 (L2; 5 cats) formed separate clades, clustering with Pneumocystis from domestic pigs (L1) and carnivores (L2), respectively. Results of the present study support the notion that cats can be colonized or subclinically infected by Pneumocystis, without histological evidence of damage to the pulmonary parenchyma referable to pneumocystosis. Pneumocystis seems most likely an innocuous pathogen of cats’ lungs, but its possible role in the exacerbation of chronic pulmonary disorders or viral/bacterial coinfections should be considered further in a clinical setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrizia Danesi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - Michela Corrò
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - Christian Falcaro
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - Antonio Carminato
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | | | - Monia Cocchi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - Mark B Krockenberger
- Veterinary Pathology Diagnostic Services, Sydney School of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Wieland Meyer
- Molecular Mycology Research Laboratory, Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Westmead Clinical School, Marie Bashir Institute for Emerging Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, University of Sydney, Westmead Hospital, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Sydney, Australia
| | - Gioia Capelli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - Richard Malik
- Centre for Veterinary Education, B22, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Kestel Kayık S, Acar E, Memiş L. Pneumocystis Jirovecii Pneumonia in Newly Diagnosed HIV Infection: A Challenging Case Report. Turk Patoloji Derg 2020; 1:246-250. [PMID: 32149364 PMCID: PMC10510603 DOI: 10.5146/tjpath.2020.01480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2019] [Accepted: 02/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Pneumocystis jirovecii is a potentially life-threatening opportunistic pathogen particularly affecting the lungs, mainly in immunosuppressed individuals and HIV-infected patients with a low CD4 cell count. A 50-year-old man presented with a 1-week history of pleuritic chest pain and fever. He was also hypoxic with oxygen saturation of 86% on room air. Detailed clinical history revealed that he had fatigue, dyspnea, night sweats, generalized bone pain and a loss of about 10 kg in weight over the past six months without intention. Chest imaging showed diffuse bilateral infiltrates. Diagnostic bronchoscopy was performed. Transbronchial biopsy and bronchoalveolar lavage were received simultaneously. The presence of P. jirovecii was suspected in hematoxylin-eosin-stained slides, and Gomori's methenamine silver stain was used to confirm the diagnosis. A blood test revealed dyslipidemia, hypothyroidism, increased plasma levels of the gonadotropins and positive HIV antibodies with a CD4+ cell count of 48/μL. CMV co-infection was found with CMV viral load of 6738 copies/ml in plasma. Herein, we present a case with Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) that led to a new diagnosis of Human immonudeficiency virus. As in our case, diagnosis of disease through the pathological examination of tissues (biopsy samples) or bodily fluids could lead to the recognition of an unrevealed HIV-infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selin Kestel Kayık
- Department of Pathology, Gazi University, School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Elif Acar
- Department of Pathology, Gazi University, School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Leyla Memiş
- Department of Pathology, Gazi University, School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
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50
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Dellière S, Gits-Muselli M, Bretagne S, Alanio A. Outbreak-Causing Fungi: Pneumocystis jirovecii. Mycopathologia 2019; 185:783-800. [PMID: 31782069 DOI: 10.1007/s11046-019-00408-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) is an important cause of morbidity in immunocompromised patients, with a higher mortality in non-HIV than in HIV patients. P. jirovecii is one of the rare transmissible pathogenic fungi and the only one that depends fully on the host to survive and proliferate. Transmissibility among humans is one of the main specificities of P. jirovecii. Hence, the description of multiple outbreaks raises questions regarding preventive care management of the disease, especially in the non-HIV population. Indeed, chemoprophylaxis is well codified in HIV patients but there is a trend for modifications of the recommendations in the non-HIV population. In this review, we aim to discuss the mode of transmission of P. jirovecii, identify published outbreaks of PCP and describe molecular tools available to study these outbreaks. Finally, we discuss public health and infection control implications of PCP outbreaks in hospital setting for in- and outpatients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Dellière
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Groupe Hospitalier Saint-Louis-Lariboisière-Fernand-Widal, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Université de Paris, Paris, France
- Molecular Mycology Unit, CNRS UMR2000, Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75724, Paris Cedex 15, France
| | - Maud Gits-Muselli
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Groupe Hospitalier Saint-Louis-Lariboisière-Fernand-Widal, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Université de Paris, Paris, France
- Molecular Mycology Unit, CNRS UMR2000, Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75724, Paris Cedex 15, France
| | - Stéphane Bretagne
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Groupe Hospitalier Saint-Louis-Lariboisière-Fernand-Widal, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Université de Paris, Paris, France
- Molecular Mycology Unit, CNRS UMR2000, Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75724, Paris Cedex 15, France
- National Reference Center for Invasive Mycoses and Antifungals (NRCMA), Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Alexandre Alanio
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Groupe Hospitalier Saint-Louis-Lariboisière-Fernand-Widal, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Université de Paris, Paris, France.
- Molecular Mycology Unit, CNRS UMR2000, Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75724, Paris Cedex 15, France.
- National Reference Center for Invasive Mycoses and Antifungals (NRCMA), Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
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