[Fungus infections of the digestive tract during antibiotic therapy].
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
SEARCH · Search PubMed
Results for “FUNGUS DISEASE”
Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.
Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.
Blastomycosis.
Blastomycosis is an uncommon, sometimes self-healing, sometimes fatal, infectious disease caused by the fungus Blastomyces dermatitidis. Although amphotericin B is still considered the drug of choice, ketoconazole and several other imidazole drugs--miconazole, itraconazole, econazole--have shown promise in the treatment of blastomycosis.
Amphotericin B↗
Lung cancer in Asian women-the environment and genes.
The mortality rate of lung cancer in Asian women has increased significantly in the past few decades. Environmental factors include tobacco smoke (active and environmental), other indoor pollutions (cooking oil vapours, coal burning, fungus spores), diet, and infections. Active tobacco smoking is not the major factor. The relative risk of lung cancer among non-smoking women ever exposed to environmental smoke from their husbands was 1.20 from a meta-analysis. Cooking oil vapours associated with high temperature wok cooking and indoor coal burning for heating and cooking in unvented homes, particularly in rural areas, are risk factors for Chinese women. Chronic benign respiratory diseases due to the fungus Microsporum canis probably accounts for the high incidence of lung cancer in northern Thai women at Sarapee. Diets rich in fruits, leafy green vegetables, and vitamin A are protective, while cured meat (Chinese sausage, pressed duck and cured pork), deep-fried cooking, and chili increased the risk. Tuberculosis is associated with lung cancer. Also, a Taiwanese study showed that the odds ratio of papillomavirus (HPV) 16/18 infection in non-smoking female lung cancer patients was 10.1, strongly suggesting a causative role. Genetic factors have also been studied in Chinese women, including human leucocyte antigens, K-ras oncogene activation, p53 mutation, polymorphisms of phase I activating enzymes (cytochrome P450, N-acetyltransferase slow acetylator status), and phase II detoxifying enzymes (glutathione-S-transferases, N-acetyltransferase rapid acetylator status). New molecular screening technology would facilitate identification of molecular targets for future studies. The interaction between environmental and genetic factors should also be further elucidated.
Air Pollution↗
Cyanide production by Pseudomonas fluorescens helps suppress black root rot of tobacco under gnotobiotic conditions.
Pseudomonas fluorescens CHA0 suppresses black root rot of tobacco, a disease caused by the fungus Thielaviopsis basicola. Strain CHA0 excretes several metabolites with antifungal properties. The importance of one such metabolite, hydrogen cyanide, was tested in a gnotobiotic system containing an artificial, iron-rich soil. A cyanidenegative (hcn) mutant, CHA5, constructed by a gene replacement technique, protected the tobacco plant less effectively than did the wild-type CHA0. Complementation of strain CHA5 by the cloned wild-type hcn genes restored the strain's ability to suppress disease. An artificial transposon carrying the hcn genes of strain CHA0 (Tnhcn) was constructed and inserted into the genome of another P.fluorescens strain, P3, which naturally does not produce cyanide and gives poor plant protection. The P3::Tnhcn derivative synthesized cyanide and exhibited an improved ability to suppress disease. All bacterial strains colonized the roots similarly and did not influence significantly the survival of T.basicola in soil. We conclude that bacterial cyanide is an important but not the only factor involved in suppression of black root rot.
Journal Article↗
Immunology of fungal infections in animals.
The nature of immunity to fungal infection is discussed predominantly for mammals and birds. T-cell-mediated immunity seems essential for recovery both from cutaneous and mucosal infections (Candida, Malassezia and dermatophytes) and from infections of systemic fungal pathogens (Cryptococcus, Blastomyces, Histoplasma, and Coccidioides). Often chronic progressive disease caused by these fungi is associated with a depression or absence of T-cell-mediated immunity to antigens of the infecting fungus. In contrast recovery from disease, or absence of clinical disease after exposure to these fungi, is associated with the presence of strong T-cell-mediated immune responses to the fungus. The activation of macrophages and the stimulation of epidermal growth and keratinization are the processes induced by T-cell-mediated immunity which result in the resolution of systemic or cutaneous and mucosal disease. Other cell types, for example NK cells and PMNs (polymorphonuclear leucocytes), may be important in these diseases in reducing the effective amount of inoculum to which an animal is exposed and thereby reducing the likelihood of disseminated disease. Invasive opportunistic fungi (Candida, Aspergillus, Mucorales) are resisted by PMNs which attach to the hyphae or pseudohyphae and damage them via an extracellular mechanism. Other host cell types may be important in natural resistance, fungal spores being handled by the macrophages which, under conditions when animals are not immunosuppressed, are likely to be an effective first line of defense. Subcutaneous pathogens and miscellaneous other fungal diseases are discussed from a point of view of host immunity and immunodiagnosis. Vaccine development for ringworm and for other mycoses is discussed.
Animals↗
Fungus and chronic rhinosinusitis: from bench to clinical understanding.
Although fungus-related sinusitis has been described for at least 2 centuries, a more detailed pathologic description of the problem as it relates to eosinophilic disease was not detailed until 1983, when "allergic fungal sinusitis" was described histopathologically. Until then, most fungal sinus disease was perceived to occur in immunosuppressed diabetic patients with invasive fungus. It is now acknowledged that depending upon the immune status of the host, fungus-related sinus disease can take several forms. Interest in this subject matter was intensified in 1999, when it was suggested that fungi might be an important cause of most cases of chronic rhinosinusitis. This hypothesis remains controversial, and there is mounting evidence to support the multifactorial nature of chronic rhinosinusitis, which may include fungus. In fact, etiologic factors for all forms of fungus-related sinus disease are still poorly understood. The prevalence of the disease and the dominant fungal pathogen appear to vary in different geographic regions and probably are related to individual host conditions. Immunoglobulin E-mediated allergic reactions to mold appear to be associated with disease in some patients, but not in all. Although antifungal therapy is known to be lifesaving for invasive disease, its role in extramucosal disease is less well defined. Preliminary trials suggest that some systemic and topical antifungal agents are of clinical benefit in extramucosal disease. Since sinus fungi are rarely invasive in immunocompetent individuals, it is not clear whether the effects of the antifungal treatments are a result of the antifungal action itself, or due to additional properties these drugs possess. This review summarizes the available data and presents some of our clinical and experimental findings as to the role of fungus in chronic rhinosinusitis.
Adult↗
Possible differences in pathogenicity between cane toad-, frog- and platypus-derived isolates of Mucor amphibiorum, and a platypus-derived isolate of Mucor circinelloides.
Platypuses (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) in the north of the island state of Tasmania, Australia, suffer from a serious disease called ulcerative mycosis, which is responsible for high morbidity and, presumably, mortality rates in areas where it occurs. The disease is caused by the dimorphic fungus Mucor amphibiorum, which is also found in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. However, it does not cause disease in platypuses in those states. It has been previously reported that a closely related fungus, Mucor circinelloides, may also be capable of causing this disease. This paper describes pathogenicity trials involving cane toads (Bufo marinus) as the experimental model. The toads were infected with either Tasmanian, platypus-derived M. amphibiorum, West Australian, frog-derived M. amphibiorum, Queensland cane-toad-derived M. amphibiorum or Tasmanian platypus-derived M. circinelloides. The Tasmanian isolates of M. amphibiorum were more likely to cause a serious, long-term infection than were Queensland or West Australian isolates, and (+) mating types caused a more serious infection than the (-) mating type. The isolate of M. circinelloides was incapable of infecting the toads, lending further weight to the theory that it represents an environmental contaminant. The results suggest that an endemic strain of M. amphibiorum has mutated and become pathogenic to platypuses. Alternatively, a pathogenic strain of M. amphibiorum may have been introduced into Tasmania, where it is infecting a naïve population.
Animals↗
Aspergillus in the lung: diverse and coincident forms.
Pulmonary disease caused by the fungus Aspergillus has traditionally been regarded as belonging to one of the following, apparently distinct, entities: saprophytic aspergilloma; allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA); and invasive aspergillosis (IPA); which may be further categorised as angioinvasive, acute or chronic airway invasive) [1]. It is not always obvious that there is overlap between these entities, and that in any given patient more than one Aspergillus-related pathological process can co-exist [2]. The aim of this article is to review the clinical and imaging features of the main categories of Aspergillus-related pulmonary disease and, in particular, to highlight the overlap between them.
Acute Disease↗
Cryo-archiving of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and other chytridiomycetes.
Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis is a major pathogen of frogs worldwide. It has been associated with catastrophic declines of frog populations including those in pristine habitats in Queensland, Australia. To facilitate genetic and disease studies of this fungus and related species, it is essential to have a reliable long-term storage method to maintain genetic integrity of isolates. We have adapted well-established techniques used for the long-term storage of tissue-culture cell lines to the preservation of B. dendrobatidis and other chytridiomycetes. This simple method has allowed us to recover these fungi from storage at -80 degrees C and in liquid nitrogen over an extended period. With this technique it is now possible to preserve saprobic and parasitic isolates from a variety of environmental and disease situations for comparative genetic and biological studies.
Chytridiomycota↗
Rostraureum tropicale gen. sp. nov. (Diaporthales) associated with dying Terminalia ivorensis in Ecuador.
Terminalia ivorensis, a tree of central African origin, is planted in several tropical countries for timber and veneer production. During the course of a recent disease survey, an unknown fungus was found associated with basal cankers on dying T. ivorensis in Ecuador. The fungus has orange fruiting structures and septate, fusoid ascospores, similar to those of Cryphonectria, a well-known genus of canker pathogens. The aim of this study was to identify the fungus and to assess its pathogenicity. Identification was based on morphological characteristics as well as DNA sequence data. DNA sequence data from the ITS regions of the rDNA operon and two regions of the beta-tubulin gene, were compared with published sequences of Cryphonectria species and the closely related genera Endothia and Chrysoporthe. Pathogenicity tests were conducted on T. superba saplings. Morphological characterisations revealed that the conidiomata of the fungus from T. ivorensis, differed from those typical of Cryphonectria in being superficial and rostrate. Only Cryphonectria longirostris was similar to the fungus from T. ivorensis, but could be distinguished from it based on conidial size. Phylogenetic analyses showed that the fungus from T. ivorensis grouped closely with species of Cryphonectria, Chrysoporthe and Endothia, yet formed a distinct clade. Pathogenicity tests on T. superba provided evidence that the fungus is able to cause distinct stem cankers. We conclude that the pathogenic fungus from T. ivorensis represents a new genus and new species in the Diaporthales and we provide the name Rostraureum tropicale for it. The genus is typified by R. tropicale. Furthermore, C. longirostris is transferred to Rostraureum.
Ascomycota↗
Pine genes regulated by the necrotrophic pathogen Fusarium circinatum.
A targeted genomics approach was used to construct a cDNA array of potential pathogen-regulated genes for investigating host-pathogen interactions in pine trees (Pinus species). This array, containing a nonredundant set of 311 cDNAs, was assembled by combining smaller sets of cDNAs generated by differential display or suppression subtraction hybridization using a variety of pathogen treatments and elicitors. The array was probed to identify host genes regulated by Fusarium circinatum, a necrotrophic fungus that incited pitch canker disease on pine stems. A set of 29 cDNAs were induced during the disease state. Notably, cDNAs on the array that were derived from experiments with fusiform rust, incited by Cronartium quercuum f. sp. fusiforme (a biotrophic fungus) were unregulated by Fusarium. the results imply distinct genetic responses in pine to diseases incited by necrotrophs and biotrophs. This cDNA collection expands the genomics toolkit for understanding interactions between conifers and their microbial associates in forest ecosystems.
Base Sequence↗
Pseudallescheria boydii (Anamorph Scedosporium apiospermum). Infection in solid organ transplant recipients in a tertiary medical center and review of the literature.
(Sca) is a ubiquitous filamentous fungus capable of causing invasive disease. We reviewed our electronic microbiology records and the English-language literature. Between 1976 and December 1999 we identified 23 solid organ transplant recipients with Sca infection, 7 of which occurred between December 1987 and December 1999 at our institution. Overall incidence was 1 per 1,000 patients, with a trend of higher incidence in patients receiving lung transplants compared with other transplant organs (p = 0.06). The 23 patients included liver (4), kidney (8), heart (8), lung (2), and heart/lung (1) recipients. Male to female ratio was 19:4, and the mean age was 46 +/- 12 (SD) years. Fungal infection was diagnosed at a median of 4 months (range, 0.4-156 mo) after transplant. The clinical presentation included disseminated disease ( 8), skin lesions (3), lung disease (5), endophthalmitis (1), meningitis (1), brain abscess with or without extension to eye (3), fungal mycotic aneurysm (1), and sinusitis (1). Seven (30%) patients had intravascular infection, and 11 (48%) patients had central nervous system involvement. Antifungal therapy was accompanied by surgical debridement in 9 cases. Three additional patients were found to have airway colonization only and received itraconazole prophylaxis, without evidence of disease. Of 22 patients with known outcome, 16 (72.7%) died. Five of 6 patients who survived had localized infections: skin lesions (n = 3), sinus fungus ball (n = 1), and solitary lung nodule (n = 1). All patients with disseminated disease and 10 of 11 patients with central nervous system disease died. An exception was 1 patient with a brain abscess, successfully treated with voriconazole and surgical drainage. Sca infection is rare but is associated with high mortality. Early diagnosis by culture is important because Sca is resistant to amphotericin B, routinely used in the empiric therapy of invasive fungal infections. Treatment with the combination of an antifungal and surgery may have a better outcome. Voriconazole promises to be an effective antifungal agent. Cultures positive for Sca should not be ignored, and long-term antifungal prophylaxis in candidates and transplant recipients should be considered.
Adult↗
Cladosporium fulvum Avr4 protects fungal cell walls against hydrolysis by plant chitinases accumulating during infection.
Resistance against the leaf mold fungus Cladosporium fulvum is mediated by the tomato Cf proteins which belong to the class of receptor-like proteins and indirectly recognize extracellular avirulence proteins (Avrs) of the fungus. Apart from triggering disease resistance, Avrs are believed to play a role in pathogenicity or virulence of C. fulvum. Here, we report on the avirulence protein Avr4, which is a chitin-binding lectin containing an invertebrate chitin-binding domain (CBM14). This domain is found in many eukaryotes, but has not yet been described in fungal or plant genomes. We found that interaction of Avr4 with chitin is specific, because it does not interact with other cell wall polysaccharides. Avr4 binds to chitin oligomers with a minimal length of three N-acetyl glucosamine residues. In vitro, Avr4 protects chitin against hydrolysis by plant chitinases. Avr4 also binds to chitin in cell walls of the fungi Trichoderma viride and Fusarium solani f. sp. phaseoli and protects these fungi against normally deleterious concentrations of plant chitinases. In situ fluorescence studies showed that Avr4 also binds to cell walls of C. fulvum during infection of tomato, where it most likely protects the fungus against tomato chitinases, suggesting that Avr4 is a counter-defensive virulence factor.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Invasive pulmonary infection due to Scedosporium apiospermum in two children with chronic granulomatous disease.
Scedosporium apiospermum is an opportunistic fungus in humans. The incidence of S. apiospermum infection in patients with acquired neutropenia (e.g., patients receiving chemotherapy and bone marrow transplant recipients) is steadily increasing. S. apiospermum has poor in vitro susceptibility to "conventional" antifungal agents, rendering the management of infections complex. Patients with chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) are highly susceptible to fungal infections, which are mostly due to Aspergillus species. We describe two children with CGD and invasive pulmonary infection due to S. apiospermum. Both patients were treated with antifungal therapy including azole derivatives (itraconazole or voriconazole) and surgical resection of infected tissues. These cases highlight that scedosporium infection can closely mimic aspergillus infection and should be considered in any case in which there is a failure to respond to appropriate "conventional" antifungal therapy. We also suggest that the emergence of this pathogen may have been favored by long-term use of amphotericin B in both patients.
Adolescent↗
Nail fungus; the problem and its management.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Disease Management↗
[An autopsy case of protein-losing enteropathy due to gastrointestinal amyloidosis, occurring in empyema].
On August 14, 2001, a 76-year-old woman with a history of rheumatoid arthritis was admitted to our hospital with fever, cough, dyspnea and diarrhea. On admission, her chest radiography showed pleural effusion on the right side, and thoracocentesis was used to diagnose empyema. The patient underwent pleural drainage and received antibiotics. Alpha-Streptococcus was detected in both aerobic and anaerobic cultures of the pleural effusion. After 2 weeks of therapy, her empyema had improved; but her diarrhea, which had started 1 week before admission, had worsened, and her hypoproteinemia had progressed. Examination of the fecal clearance of alpha-1-antitrypsin and biopsied rectal material revealed that the diarrhea was caused by protein-losing enteropathy due to gastrointestinal amyloidosis secondary to rheumatoid arthritis. The patient was treated with steroids, but developed an additional infectious disease and died on September 29, 2001. In this case, she suffered from various infectious diseases including empyema and fungus infections. It has been reported that protein-losing enteropathy accompanies abnormalities in the immune system, by the loss of immunoglobulins and lymphocytes from the gut. We therefore suspect that protein-losing enteropathy due to gastrointestinal amyloidosis caused this patient's empyema.
Aged↗
[Clinical course of cryptococcosis in HIV infection].
Cryptococcosis was detected in 17% of examines with AIDS. The disease was caused by fungus Cryptococcus neoformans. Most frequently cryptococcosis affected CNS (meningitis and encephalitis). The symptoms were scare and nonspecific, e.g. positive meningitis indicators occurred only in 9% of the patients. Cryptococcosis tends to hematogenic spread with severe dissemination. The diagnosis was made primarily basing on the results of mycological investigations of the biosubstrates, i.e. discovery of Cryptococcus neoformans.
AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
Skin disease among Latino farmworkers in North Carolina.
An estimated 4.2 million seasonal and migrant farmworkers and their dependents live in the U.S. Most of these farmworkers are Latino. These workers are exposed to numerous occupational and environmental risk factors that can result in skin disease. Few data exist on the prevalence of skin disease in this population. The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence and predictors of skin disease in a sample of Latino farmworkers in North Carolina. A sample of 59 farmworkers was recruited and interviewed at two camps during the 2004 agricultural season. A dermatologist completed a skin exam of each worker and recorded any skin disease present. Forty-two (77.7%) of the 54 men, and all five of the women examined had a diagnosed skin disease. For the men, onychomycosis (nail fungus, 31.5%), tinea pedis (foot fungus, 27.8%), and acne (24.1 %) were the most commonly diagnosed skin diseases, with contact dermatitis diagnosed in 5.6% of the sample. Other diagnoses included scars, sunburn, and atopic dermatitis. Among the women, diagnoses included melasma (dark patches on the face, 2 cases), xerosis (excessively dry skin, 1 case), tinea pedis (2 cases), onychomycosis (1 case), acne (1 case), and insect bites (1 case). There were no statistically significant differences between workers in the two camps despite different growing seasons and different crops harvested. Skin disease is prevalent among the North Carolina Latino farmworkers who participated in this study, with fungal disease being the most prevalent.
Acne Vulgaris↗