{"title":"Sex Differences in Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis and its Impact on Exacerbations.","authors":"Ritesh Agarwal, Valliappan Muthu, Inderpaul Singh Sehgal, Kuruswamy Thurai Prasad, Sahajal Dhooria, Mandeep Garg, Ashutosh N Aggarwal, Shivaprakash M Rudramurthy, Arunaloke Chakrabarti","doi":"10.1007/s11046-024-00893-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11046-024-00893-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The impact of sex on allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) outcomes remains uncertain. We retrospectively included ABPA subjects per the revised International Society for Human and Animal Mycology ABPA working group criteria over 13 years. We compared the clinical features, lung function, immunological tests, imaging, and ABPA exacerbation rates between men and women. Our primary objective was to assess whether women experience higher ABPA exacerbations than men. We included 731 ABPA subjects (mean age, 34.5 years; 49.5% women). Women with ABPA were older and had underlying asthma more frequently than men. There was no difference in lung function, immunological investigations, and imaging between men and women. ABPA exacerbations occurred in a slightly higher proportion of women than men (44.5% vs. 38.2%) but did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.09). We did not find a significant sex difference in ABPA exacerbation rates. Prospective studies should confirm our findings.</p>","PeriodicalId":19017,"journal":{"name":"Mycopathologia","volume":"189 6","pages":"90"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2024-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142365876","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MycopathologiaPub Date : 2024-09-26DOI: 10.1007/s11046-024-00896-5
Maria Kourti, Emmanuel Roilides
{"title":"Usage of Antifungal Agents in Pediatric Patients Versus Adults: Knowledge and Gaps.","authors":"Maria Kourti, Emmanuel Roilides","doi":"10.1007/s11046-024-00896-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11046-024-00896-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Invasive fungal infections (IFIs) present significant challenges in managing hospitalized and immunocompromised pediatric patients, contributing to high morbidity and mortality. Despite advancements in diagnostics and treatment, outcomes remain suboptimal due to unique clinical epidemiology, lack of pediatric-specific trials, and varied pharmacokinetics. The emergence of new antifungal classes and agents has expanded our options for preventing and treating IFIs in children, enhancing the safety and effectiveness of antifungal therapy. The oral formulations of ibrexafungerp, fosmanogepix and olorofim along with the extended dosing intervals of rezafungin show promising features for effective antifungal treatment in pediatrics. Despite the promising potential of novel antifungal drugs, their performance in heavily immunosuppressed patients remains unstudied. Until then, dedicated antifungal stewardship programs for high-risk patients are essential to optimize therapeutic outcomes, improve patient care, and limit the emergence of resistance.</p>","PeriodicalId":19017,"journal":{"name":"Mycopathologia","volume":"189 5","pages":"88"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2024-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142350555","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Assessment of LAMPAuris for Rapid Detection of Candida auris in Clinical Specimens.","authors":"Mikachi Yamamoto, Mohamed Mahdi Alshahni, Aya Komori, Masakazu Mimaki, Koichi Makimura","doi":"10.1007/s11046-024-00892-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11046-024-00892-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Candida auris is a pathogenic yeast frequently exhibiting multidrug resistance and thus warrants special attention. The prompt detection and proper identification of this organism are needed to prevent its spread in healthcare facilities. The authors of this paper had previously developed LAMPAuris, a loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay, for the specific detection of C. auris. LAMPAuris is evaluated in this report for its ability to identify C. auris from five clades and to detect it from clinical specimens. A total of 103 skin swab samples were tested in comparison with a culture-based method and C. auris-specific SYBR green qPCR. The results show that the LAMPAuris assay had specificities ranging from 97 to 100% and sensitivities ranging from 66 to 86%. The lower sensitivity could be attributed to DNA degradation caused by the prolonged storage of the samples. In conclusion, LAMPAuris proved to be a rapid and reliable method for identifying C. auris and for detecting it in clinical specimens. Fresh specimens should ensure better yield and higher sensitivities.</p>","PeriodicalId":19017,"journal":{"name":"Mycopathologia","volume":"189 5","pages":"87"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2024-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142291749","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Comparative Analysis of the Aspergillus fumigatus Cell Wall Modification and Ensuing Human Dendritic Cell Responses by β-(1,3)-Glucan Synthase Inhibitors-Caspofungin and Enfumafungin.","authors":"Karine Guilloux, Pushpa Hegde, Sarah Sze Wah Wong, Vishukumar Aimanianda, Jagadeesh Bayry, Jean-Paul Latgé","doi":"10.1007/s11046-024-00894-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11046-024-00894-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Caspofungin, a lipopeptide, is an antifungal drug that belong to the class of echinocandin. It inhibits fungal cell wall β-(1,3)-glucan synthase activity and is the second-line of drug for invasive aspergillosis, a fatal infection caused mainly by Aspergillus fumigatus. On the other hand, Enfumafungin is a natural triterpene glycoside also with a β-(1,3)-glucan synthase inhibitory activity and reported to have antifungal potential. In the present study, we compared the growth as well as modifications in the A. fumigatus cell wall upon treatment with Caspofungin or Enfumafungin, consequentially their immunomodulatory capacity on human dendritic cells. Caspofungin initially inhibited the growth of A. fumigatus, but the effect was lost over time. By contrast, Enfumafungin inhibited this fungal growth for the duration investigated. Both Caspofungin and Enfumafungin caused a decrease in the cell wall β-(1,3)-glucan content with a compensatory increase in the chitin, and to a minor extent they also affected cell wall galactose content. Treatment with these two antifungals did not result in the exposure of β-(1,3)-glucan on A. fumigatus mycelial surface. Enzymatic digestion suggested a modification of β-(1,3)-glucan structure, specifically its branching, upon Enfumafungin treatment. While there was no difference in the immunostimulatory capacity of antifungal treated A. fumigatus conidia, alkali soluble-fractions from Caspofungin treated mycelia weakly stimulated the dendritic cells, possibly due to an increased content of immunosuppressive polysaccharide galactosaminogalactan. Overall, we demonstrate a novel mechanism that Enfumafungin not only inhibits β-(1,3)-glucan synthase activity, but also causes modifications in the structure of β-(1,3)-glucan in the A. fumigatus cell wall.</p>","PeriodicalId":19017,"journal":{"name":"Mycopathologia","volume":"189 5","pages":"86"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2024-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142291750","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Malassezia globosa Induces Differentiation of Pathogenic Th17 Cells by Inducing IL-23 Secretion by Keratinocytes","authors":"Qiuyu Jia, Jian Hu, Xiaojie Wang, Yuxuan Deng, Jianzhong Zhang, Houmin Li","doi":"10.1007/s11046-024-00890-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-024-00890-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><i>Malassezia</i>, the most abundant fungal commensal on the mammalian skin, has been linked to several inflammatory skin diseases such as atopic dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis and psoriasis. This study reveals that epicutaneous application with <i>Malassezia globosa</i> (<i>M. globosa</i>) triggers skin inflammation in mice. RNA-sequencing of the resulting mouse lesions indicates activation of Interleukin-17 (IL-17) signaling and T helper 17 (Th17) cells differentiation pathways by <i>M. globosa</i>. Furthermore, our findings demonstrate a significant upregulation of IL-23, IL-23R, IL-17A, and IL-22 expressions, along with an increase in the proportion of Th17 and pathogenic Th17 cells in mouse skin exposed to <i>M. globosa</i>. In vitro experiments illustrate that <i>M. globosa</i> prompts human primary keratinocytes to secrete IL-23 via TLR2/MyD88/NF-κB signaling. This IL-23 secretion by keratinocytes is shown to be adequate for inducing the differentiation of pathogenic Th17 cells in the skin. Overall, these results underscore the significant role of <i>Malassezia</i> in exacerbating skin inflammation by stimulating IL-23 secretion by keratinocytes and promoting the differentiation of pathogenic Th17 cells.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Graphic Abstract</h3>\u0000","PeriodicalId":19017,"journal":{"name":"Mycopathologia","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142251263","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MycopathologiaPub Date : 2024-09-16DOI: 10.1007/s11046-024-00881-y
A. Gutiérrez-Villanueva, J. Calderón-Parra, A. Callejas-Diaz, E. Muñez-Rubio, K. Velásquez, A. Ramos-Martínez, B. Rodríguez-Alfonso, A. Fernández-Cruz
{"title":"What do we know About the Usefulness of 18F-FDG PET-CT for the Management of Invasive Fungal Infection? An International Survey","authors":"A. Gutiérrez-Villanueva, J. Calderón-Parra, A. Callejas-Diaz, E. Muñez-Rubio, K. Velásquez, A. Ramos-Martínez, B. Rodríguez-Alfonso, A. Fernández-Cruz","doi":"10.1007/s11046-024-00881-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-024-00881-y","url":null,"abstract":"<h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Background</h3><p>Recent data support <sup>18</sup>F-FDG PET-CT for the management of infections in immunocompromised patients, including invasive fungal infection (IFI). However, its role is not well established in clinical practice. We performed an international survey to evaluate the knowledge of physicians about the usefulness of <sup>18</sup>F-FDG PET-CT in IFI, in order to define areas of uncertainty.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Methods</h3><p>An online survey was distributed to infectious diseases working groups in December 2023-January 2024. It included questions regarding access to <sup>18</sup>F-FDG PET-CT, knowledge on its usefulness for IFI and experience of the respondents. A descriptive analysis was performed.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Results</h3><p>180 respondents answered; 60.5% were Infectious Diseases specialists mainly from Spain (52.8%) and Italy (23.3%). 84.4% had access to <sup>18</sup>F-FDG PET-CT at their own center. 85.6% considered that <sup>18</sup>F-FDG PET-CT could be better than conventional tests for IFI. In the context of IFI risk, 81.1% would consider performing <sup>18</sup>F-FDG PET-CT to study fever without a source and around 50% to evaluate silent lesions and 50% to assess response, including distinguishing residual from active lesions. Based on the results of the follow-up <sup>18</sup>F-FDG PET-CT, 56.7% would adjust antifungal therapy duration. 60% would consider a change in the diagnostic or therapeutic strategy in case of increased uptake or new lesions. Uncovering occult lesions (52%) and diagnosing/excluding endocarditis (52.7%) were the situations in which <sup>18</sup>F-FDG PET-CT was considered to have the most added value. There was a great variability in responses about timing, duration of uptake, the threshold for discontinuing treatment or the influence of immune status.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Conclusion</h3><p>Although the majority considered that <sup>18</sup>F-FDG PET-CT may be useful for IFI, many areas of uncertainty remain. There is a need for protocolized research to improve IFI management.</p>","PeriodicalId":19017,"journal":{"name":"Mycopathologia","volume":"6 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142251260","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MycopathologiaPub Date : 2024-09-12DOI: 10.1007/s11046-024-00887-6
Cécile Angebault, Françoise Botterel
{"title":"Metagenomics Applied to the Respiratory Mycobiome in Cystic Fibrosis","authors":"Cécile Angebault, Françoise Botterel","doi":"10.1007/s11046-024-00887-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-024-00887-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disorder characterized by chronic microbial colonization and inflammation of the respiratory tract (RT), leading to pulmonary exacerbation (PEx) and lung damage. Although the lung bacterial microbiota has been extensively studied, the mycobiome remains understudied. However, its importance as a contributor to CF pathophysiology has been highlighted. The objective of this review is to provide an overview of the current state of knowledge regarding the mycobiome, as described through NGS-based studies, in patients with CF (pwCF).</p><p>Several studies have demonstrated that the mycobiome in CF lungs is a dynamic entity, exhibiting a lower diversity and abundance than the bacterial microbiome. Nevertheless, the progression of lung damage is associated with a decrease in fungal and bacterial diversity. The core mycobiome of the RT in pwCFs is mainly composed of yeasts (<i>Candida</i> spp., <i>Malassezia</i> spp.) and molds with lower abundance. Some fungi (<i>Aspergillus</i>, <i>Scedosporium/Pseudallescheria</i>) have been demonstrated to play a role in PEx, while the involvement of others (<i>Candida</i>, <i>Pneumocystis</i>) remains uncertain. The “climax attack” ecological model has been proposed to explain the complexity and interplay of microbial populations in the RT, leading to PEx and lung damage. NGS-based studies also enable the detection of intra- and interkingdom correlations between fungi and bacteria. Further studies are required to ascertain the biological and pathophysiological relevance of these correlations. Finally, with the recent advent of CFTR modulators, our understanding of the pulmonary microbiome and mycobiome in pwCFs is about to change.</p>","PeriodicalId":19017,"journal":{"name":"Mycopathologia","volume":"7 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142211717","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}