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PubMed2004

[Infection of Penicillium marneffei].

OBJECTIVES: To elucidate the etiology, pathohistology, clinical characteristic and differential diagnosis, reduce missed diagnosis and improve the early detection and treatment of Penicillium Marneffei infection, by means of this case report and literature review. METHODS: A patient hospitalized Penicillium Marneffei infection were presented here, together with 27 cases in the literature, among which 10 patients had complications of AIDS and 5 with other diseases. RESULTS: Penicillium Marneffei is a temperature-sensitive, two-phase fungus, which can infect healthy and immunocompromised subjects. The common symptoms are lymphadenopathy and infection of the lung. The infection may be local or diffuse, involving the intestinal tract, soft tissue, bone, liver, spleen and bone marrow etc. The lesion can be classified into the granuloma type, suppurative type and anergy/necrosis type histologically. The yeast-like fungus were mainly found in the cytoplasm of macrophages, which were demonstrated by PAS and Giemsa staining. The wine red color developed on the culture confirms the diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: The diagnosis of Penicillium Marneffei infection should be considered when tuberculosis is suspected but not confirmed, and if the patient has a history of having lived or traveled in Southeast Asia, is anemic or resistant to anti-tuberculosis treatment. The major differential diagnosis is histoplasmosis. Early administration of anti-fungus drugs is essential for recovery.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
PubMed2003

[Protoplast isolation and transformation of Exserohilum turcicum].

Northern corn leaf blight, caused by the fungus Exserohirum turcicum Pass. (Leonard and Suggs), is one of the major diseases in most corn-growing areas of the world. Research on gene tagging of E. turcicum has been limited due to the lack of an efficient transformation system. Since E. turcicum produces and accumulates melamin in cell walls during vegetative growth, it is difficult to efficiently isolate its protoplast. To isolate the protoplast of this pathogen with a high frequency, the effects of cell wall degradation enzymes, including beta-1,3-glucanase (Fungase, Funcelase, Novozyme and Glucanex) and beta-glucuronidase (Driselase, Uskizyme and Kitalase), enzyme concentrations, combinations, strains and medium on the isolation frequency were tested. The isolation frequencies were high enough for transformation when the combinations of (Kitalase + Glucanex + Driselase), (Kitalase + Glucanex) or (Kitalase + Uskizyme) were used. Moreover, the isolation frequencies of protoplast were significantly affected by the cultural morphologies of strain and the growth stage of mycelia. Among the plasmids tested, only plasmid pAN71 is efficient for transformation of E. turcicum. This result will provide some useful information for gene tagging of E. turcicum and other species in Exserohirum.

Ascomycota↗
PubMed1977

[Tropical entomophthoromycoses].

A review was made about human entomophthoromycosis observed in tropical areas due to fungi of the order Entomophthorales. Rhinophycomycosis is caused by Entomophthora coronata, a cosmopolitan fungus which is only pathogen in wet tropical and subtropical climates. The disease, a muco-cutaneous infection of the face, induces monstruous deformations. Basidiobolomycosis is caused by Basidiobolus meristosporus, a saprophyte of different amphibians and reptiles very often present in the family Agamidae. The disease interests the subcutaneous tissues and is mainly located at the trunk, shoulders and upper part of the limbs. The epidemiology, clinic and therapeutic were reported. Histopathological lesions and morphology of both fungi were studied. The etiology of the casual agents of these mycoses was discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Pneumocystosis.

In much of the world, pneumocystosis remains the most common life-threatening opportunistic infection among patients with HIV disease. The infection is caused by Pneumocystis carinii--an organism whose identity as a fungus or parasite is still debated. What is no longer debated, after a decade of AIDS, is that pneumocystosis is almost entirely preventable and eminently treatable. Understanding has improved concerning when prophylaxis should be initiated. It is also recognized that, at least with the agents available today, antiretroviral therapy alone will not prevent pneumocystosis. Sputum induction and the use of monoclonal antibodies have modestly improved our ability to diagnose the infection; however, invasive procedures are still required for most patients, and unusual presentations of the disease, such as cavitary lesions, apical infiltrates, pneumothoraces, and extrapulmonary infection, are not infrequently seen. For treatment, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and intravenous pentamidine remain the mainstays; oral therapy with dapsone and trimethoprim can be as effective as conventional therapy in mild disease, permitting treatment on an outpatient basis. Adjunctive steroids are useful for treatment of moderate to severe pneumocystosis, but clinicians should be alert to the possibility of activation of other latent infections during and after courses of steroids. Both aerosol pentamidine and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole are effective prophylaxis. The latter appears to be more effective and costs much less, but the results of comparative trials are not yet available. More data are also needed on the safety, efficacy, and relative advantages of dapsone for prophylaxis. The first decade of the AIDS epidemic has been a decade of progress against pneumocystosis. In the next decade, the emergence of new technologies for diagnosis and of new agents for prophylaxis and treatment will bring us closer to the goal of controlling this serious infection.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed2006

Converting the prion protein: what makes the protein infectious.

The discovery of prion disease transmission in mammals, as well as a non-Mendelian type of inheritance in yeast, has led to the establishment of a new concept in biology, the prion hypothesis. The prion hypothesis postulates that an abnormal protein conformation propagates itself in an autocatalytic manner via recruitment of the normal isoform of the same protein as a substrate, and thereby acts either as a transmissible agent of disease (in mammals) or as a heritable determinant of phenotype (in yeast and fungus). Although reconstitution of fully infectious PrP(Sc)in vitro from synthetic components has not yet been achieved, numerous lines of evidence indicate that the prion protein is the major and essential component, if not the only one, of the prion infectious agent. This article summarizes our current knowledge about the chemical nature of the prion infectious agent, describes potential strategies and challenges related to the generation of prion infectivity de novo, proposes new hypotheses to explain the apparently low infectivity observed in the first synthetic mammalian prions, and describes plausible effects of chemical modifications on prion conversion.

Amyloid↗
PubMed2005

The anther smut disease on Gypsophila repens: a case of parasite sub-optimal performance following a recent host shift?

The study of how parasites adapt to new hosts is of great importance for understanding the emergence of new diseases. Here, we report a study of the anther smut disease on Gypsophila repens (Caryophyllaceae). In contrast to what is usually found on other host species, infected natural populations of G. repens are extremely rare. Moreover, symptoms of diseased plants are incomplete and highly variable over the time. These results suggest that the fungus infecting G. repens is a case of a parasite not capable of exploiting its host optimally. Molecular analyses of Microbotryum violaceum strains infecting this and other Caryophyllaceae revealed that this sub-optimal behaviour probably resulted from a recent host shift from the morphologically similar plant Petrorhagia saxifraga. With its exceptionally low virulence and prevalence, but apparent self-sustainability, the disease on G. repens may thus represent an interesting case study for investigating the conditions leading to adaptation of parasites on new hosts.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed2005

Role of fungus in eosinophilic sinusitis.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Chronic rhinosinusitis is characterized by a broad diagnostic and etiologic spectrum. It has been postulated that fungal organisms might represent the immunologic target initiating and maintaining the disease process in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis as a common denominator. This review analyzes the available data to describe the current understanding of the role of fungus in the pathophysiology of chronic rhinosinusitis. RECENT FINDINGS: Recent findings have demonstrated that using highly sensitive methods, the detection rate of fungi in nasal mucin can be increased to approximately 100% in patients and in healthy controls. If this ubiquitous fungal contamination were to be related to a causative mechanism in chronic rhinosinusitis, there would have to be an immunologic sensitization in patients in contrast with healthy individuals, which is yet not fully understood. However, studies were able to demonstrate cytokine production in blood-derived lymphocytes in the presence of fungi in patients, but not in healthy controls. Several questions arise. If this is a relevant finding, in what percentage of chronic rhinosinusitis patients could it be causative? Is chronic rhinosinusitis, then, a systemic disease? How is the extramucosal target in the mucin presented to the immune system? Is intranasal, topical antifungal treatment a successful option? SUMMARY: The role of fungal organisms in the etiology of eosinophilic rhinosinusitis is reviewed with respect to novel findings, and arising questions are discussed in the light of recent investigations.

Chronic Disease↗
PubMed1988

Mycetoma: a contemporary concept.

Mycetoma is a localized noncontagious infection that involves cutaneous and subcutaneous tissue, fascia, and bone. The disease is caused by either aerobic actinomycetes or fungi that are normally associated with soil and plant material. In the past, actinomycosis, botryomycosis, fungus balls, and some forms of Majocchi's granuloma trichophyticum have been confused with mycetoma. Antimicrobic chemotherapy and surgery are management approaches used to resolve this disease.

Bacterial Infections↗
PubMed2003

Pneumocystis jiroveci internal transcribed spacer types in patients colonized by the fungus and in patients with pneumocystosis from the same French geographic region.

Pneumocystis jiroveci (human-derived Pneumocystis) infections can display a broad spectrum of clinical presentations, of which pulmonary colonization with the fungus may represent an important part, occurring frequently in patients with various underlying diseases and presenting alternative diagnoses of acute pneumocystosis (Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia [PCP]). There are few data concerning the P. jiroveci genotypes involved in pulmonary colonization, whereas several genotypes responsible for PCP in immunocompromised patients have been described. In this study, P. jiroveci genotypes have retrospectively been investigated and compared in 6 colonized patients and in 11 patients with PCP who were in the same hospital. Seventeen archival bronchoalveolar lavage samples were genotyped at internal-transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) and ITS2 of the nuclear rRNA operon. Fourteen different genotypes were identified, of which 1 was found only in colonized patients, 10 were found only in patients with PCP, and 3 were found in both patient populations. Mixed infections were diagnosed in 2 of the 6 colonized patients and in 6 of the 11 patients with PCP. The results show that similar genotypes can be responsible for PCP as well as pulmonary colonization. There is a high diversity of genotypes in colonized patients and in patients with PCP. Mixed infections may occur in these two patient populations. These shared features of P. jiroveci ITS genotypes in colonized patients and patients with PCP suggest that human populations infected by P. jiroveci, whatever the clinical manifestation, may play a role as a common reservoir for the fungus.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
PubMed1975

Pulmonary aspergilloma. A report of its occurrence in 2 patients with cyanotic heart disease.

This is an account of our experience with 2 patients with congenital cyanotic heart disease who developed pulmonary aspergillomas. Neither patient had a demonstrable cavity in the lung before the appearance of the fungus ball. Both patients had pulmonary artery-to-superior vena cava shunts, but the aspergilloma was in the ipsilateral lung in one and the contralateral lung in the other. Repeated life-threatening hemoptyses made excision of the lung containing the cavity and fungus ball necessary in both patients.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Ultrastructural analysis of Vitis vinifera leaf tissues showing atypical symptoms of Plasmopara viticola.

In an abandoned farm in Tuscany a year by year regression of downy mildew disease on grapevines was observed and a decrease in virulence as well as vigor and fertility of the causal fungus, Plasmopara viticola. Anomalous spots of the fungus (i.e. atypical coloration of leaves or mosaic) on leaf tissues of a sensitive Vitis vinifera grapevine were observed. The anomalous symptoms were often associated with the typical 'oil spots' and were present under environmental conditions favourable for a normal development of the disease. An ultrastructural study was carried out on leaf tissues of grapevine plants aimed at clarifying the cause of this phenomenon and detecting whether there were alterations in P. viticola mycelium and endophytes present. ELISA was also performed to check the presence of grapevine viruses in the plants. TEM results demonstrated that characteristic P. viticola was present in leaf samples showing oil spots, while, both the fungus and the host tissues showed cytological alterations in leaves with mosaic symptoms. Finally, hyphae were absent in leaf tissues without downy mildew spots, but showing severe ultrastructural modifications. Several plant virus infections were found in these grapevines. Literature reports that the development and sporulation of some phytopathogenic fungi inside their hosts can be limited by virus infections. Further experimental approaches are required to determine if resistance to P. viticola can be induced by viral infections in grapevines.

Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay↗