- Antifungal medicines in the terrestrial environment: Levels in biosolids from England and Wales. [Journal Article]Sci Total Environ. 2023 Feb 01 [Online ahead of print]ST
- Antifungals are used widely in clinical and agricultural practice to control fungal growth, either treating or preventing infection. There are reports of increasing prevalence of resistance to antifungals in human pathogens and concern that their use in agriculture is driving clinical resistance in patients. While crop protection products are the most obvious source in agriculture, a further sour…
- Publisher Full Text (DOI)
- Saprochaete clavata invasive infection: characterization, antifungal susceptibility, and biofilm evaluation of a rare yeast isolated in Brazil. [Case Reports]Rev Inst Med Trop Sao Paulo. 2023; 65:e12.RI
- Rare emerging pathogens such as Saprochaete clavata are associated with invasive fungal diseases, high morbidity, mortality, rapidly fatal infections, and outbreaks. However, little is known about S. clavata infections, epidemiology, risk factors, treatment, biofilms, and disease outcomes. The objective of this study was to describe a new case of severe S. clavata infection in a patient diagnosed…
- Publisher Full Text (DOI)
- Carbon Dioxide Potentiates Flucytosine Susceptibility in Cryptococcus neoformans. [Journal Article]Microbiol Spectr. 2023 Jan 31 [Online ahead of print]MS
- Cryptococcal meningoencephalitis remains a global health threat with limited treatment options. Currently, the most effective treatment regimens are based on a combination therapy of flucytosine with either amphotericin B or fluconazole. Slow but steady progress is being made toward universal access to flucytosine-based therapies. The broadening access to flucytosine combination therapies will be…
- Publisher Full Text (DOI)
- Off-label treatments as potential accelerators in the search for the ideal antifungal treatment of cryptococcosis. [Review]Future Microbiol. 2023 Jan 23 [Online ahead of print]FM
- Cryptococcosis is an opportunistic mycosis that mainly affects immunosuppressed patients. The treatment is a combination of three antifungal agents: amphotericin B, 5-flucytosine and fluconazole. However, these drugs have many disadvantages, such as high nephrotoxicity, marketing bans in some countries and fungal resistance. One of the solutions to find possible new drugs is pharmacological repos…
- Publisher Full Text (DOI)
- Severe Sporotrichosis Caused by Sporothrix brasiliensis: Antifungal Susceptibility and Clinical Outcomes. [Journal Article]
- Itraconazole is the first choice for treating sporotrichosis. Amphotericin B is indicated for severe and disseminated forms. The aim of the study was to evaluate the antifungal susceptibility of Sporothrix brasiliensis strains isolated from patients with severe sporotrichosis treated with amphotericin B and correlate with clinical outcomes. Clinical and epidemiological data were obtained from sev…
- PMC Free PDF
- Factors Influencing the Nitrogen-Source Dependent Flucytosine Resistance in Cryptococcus Species. [Journal Article]mBio. 2023 Jan 19 [Online ahead of print]MBIO
- Flucytosine (5-FC) is an antifungal agent commonly used for treatment of cryptococcosis and several other systemic mycoses. In fungi, cytosine permease and cytosine deaminase are known major players in flucytosine resistance by regulating uptake and deamination of 5-FC, respectively. Cryptococcus species have three paralogs each of cytosine permease (FCY2, FCY3, and FCY4) and cytosine deaminase (…
- Publisher Full Text (DOI)
- Characteristics and prognostic risk factors of patients with sequence type 5 lineage-associated cryptococcosis in China. [Journal Article]Int J Infect Dis. 2023 Jan 14; 128:244-253.IJ
- CONCLUSIONS: Our study has provided an understanding of the ST5 lineage associated with cryptococcosis.
- Publisher Full Text (DOI)
- A survey to describe common practices on antifungal monitoring among Spanish clinicians. [Journal Article]Enferm Infecc Microbiol Clin (Engl Ed). 2023 Jan; 41(1):18-23.EI
- CONCLUSIONS: The survey reveals common practices and attitudes towards antifungal monitoring, sometimes not performed as per best recommendations, offering an opportunity for education and research. Appropriate use of therapeutic drug monitoring may be an objective of antifungal stewardship programmes.
- Publisher Full Text (DOI)
- The fungal expel of 5-fluorocytosine derived fluoropyrimidines mitigates its antifungal activity and generates a cytotoxic environment. [Journal Article]
- Invasive aspergillosis remains one of the most devastating fungal diseases and is predominantly linked to infections caused by the opportunistic human mold pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus. Major treatment regimens for the disease comprise the administration of antifungals belonging to the azole, polyene and echinocandin drug class. The prodrug 5-fluorocytosine (5FC), which is the only representati…
- PMC Free PDF
- Evaluation of experimental, computational, molecular docking and dynamic simulation of flucytosine. [Journal Article]J Biomol Struct Dyn. 2022 Dec 23 [Online ahead of print]JB
- Flucytosine (5-fluorocytosine), a fluorine derivative of pyrimidine, has been studied both experimentally and quantum chemically. To obtain the optimized structure, vibrational frequencies and other various parameters, the B3LYP method with a 6-311++G(d,p) basis set was used. Atom-in-molecule theory was used to calculate the binding energies, ellipticity and isosurface projection by electron loca…
- Publisher Full Text (DOI)
- Antifungal susceptibility profiles and drug resistance mechanisms of clinical Candida duobushaemulonii isolates from China. [Journal Article]
- Candida duobushaemulonii, type II Candida haemulonii complex, is closely related to Candida auris and capable of causing invasive and non-invasive infections in humans. Eleven strains of C. duobushaemulonii were collected from China Hospital Invasive Fungal Surveillance Net (CHIF-NET) and identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF), VI…
- PMC Free PDF
- Gradient concentration strip-specific epidemiological cut-off values of antifungal drugs in various yeast species and five prevalent Aspergillus species complexes. [Journal Article]Clin Microbiol Infect. 2022 Dec 09 [Online ahead of print]CM
- CONCLUSIONS: These ECVs can be added to the already available gradient concentration strip-specific ECVs to facilitate minimum inhibitory concentration interpretation and streamline the identification of nonwild type isolates.
- Publisher Full Text (DOI)
- A Case Report of Concurrent Cryptococcal and Tuberculous Meningitis in an Immunosuppressed Renal Transplant Patient. [Case Reports]
- Infections after renal transplant are a common cause of morbidity and are commonly due to Cytomegalovirus (CMV), Cryptococcus, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and Aspergillus. Concurrent infections with both cryptococcal and tuberculous aetiologies are rare within the central nervous system (CNS). We present a case of a 67-year-old male patient who presented with three weeks of headaches, confusion, …
- PMC Free PDF
- Antifungal susceptibility and molecular characteristics of Cryptococcus spp. based on whole-genome sequencing in Zhejiang Province, China. [Journal Article]
- Cryptococcus spp. is a complex species that often causes cryptococcosis, which is one of the most common opportunistic infections in adults living with HIV and has very high morbidity and mortality rates. This study aimed to investigate the antifungal susceptibility profiles and epidemiological characteristics of the Cryptococcus neoformans species complex (CNSC) and the Cryptococcus gattii speci…
- PMC Free PDF
- First two fungemia cases caused by Candida haemulonii var. vulnera in China with emerged antifungal resistance. [Journal Article]
- Candida haemulonii var. vulnera is a rare variant of C. haemulonii, which has been previously reported to cause human infections. Owing to the close kinship between C. haemulonii sensu stricto and C. haemulonii var. vulnera, accurate identification of C. haemulonii var. vulnera relied on DNA sequencing assay targeting, for example, rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. In this work, two …
- PMC Free PDF
- StatPearls: Flucytosine [BOOK]StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing: Treasure Island (FL)BOOK
- Flucytosine is a medication used in the management and treatment of systemic and severe candida and cryptococcus infections. It is in the antimetabolite, antifungal class of drugs. This activity outlines the indications, action, and contraindications for flucytosine as a valuable agent in treating and managing severe fungal infections. This activity will highlight the mechanism of action, adverse…
- Antifungal chemotherapies and immunotherapies for the future. [Review]Parasite Immunol. 2023 Feb; 45(2):e12960.PI
- Human fungal pathogens cause a broad plethora of infections, spanning cutaneous dermatophytoses to invasive infections in immunocompromised hosts. As eukaryotic pathogens are capable of morphotype switching, they present unique challenges both for drug development and the immunological response. Whilst current antifungal therapies are limited to the orally available triazoles, intravenous echonoc…
- Publisher Full Text (DOI)
- Cladophialophora bantiana brain abscess and concurrent pulmonary cryptococcus neoformans infection in a patient twenty years after renal transplantation. [Case Reports]
- Recipients of solid organ transplants are at risk for a variety of infections due to their immunocompromised status. The types of infections are often correlated to the timing from their transplant. After about six to twelve months, transplant recipients remain at risk for typical community acquired pathogens, late viral infections, and fungal infections including atypical molds such as Cladophia…
- PMC Free PDF
- Cryptococcal meningitis with atypical paradoxical inflammatory reactions after antifungal treatment in acquired immune deficiency syndrome: A case report. [Case Reports]J Infect Chemother. 2023 Mar; 29(3):347-352.JI
- Cryptococcal meningitis (CM) is a life-threatening disease that primarily affects patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Antifungal therapy with antiretroviral treatment (ART) usually leads to the clinical remission of CM; however, in some cases, these treatments exacerbate intracranial inflammation because of paradoxical inflammatory reaction or immune reconstitution inflammatory synd…
- Publisher Full Text (DOI)
- Cryopreservation does not change the performance and characteristics of allogenic mesenchymal stem cells highly over-expressing a cytoplasmic therapeutic transgene for cancer treatment. [Journal Article]
- CONCLUSIONS: This study supports the use of cryopreserved, off-the-shelf transiently transfected MSCs for cancer treatment.
- PMC Free PDF
- Pulmonary Cryptococcosis. [Review]
- Pulmonary cryptococcosis describes an invasive lung mycosis caused by Cryptococcus neoformans or Cryptococcus gattii complex. It is often a high-consequence disease in both immunocompromised and immunocompetent populations, and may be misdiagnosed as pulmonary malignancy, leading to a delay in therapy. Epidemiology follows that of cryptococcal meningoencephalitis, with C. gattii infection more co…
- PMC Free PDF
- Candidemia: Changing dynamics from a tertiary care hospital in North India. [Journal Article]
- CONCLUSIONS: Non-albicans Candida spp. predominated over Candida albicans in causing bloodstream infections and were found to be more resistant to antifungals. Continuous surveillance is necessary to monitor changes in epidemiological and resistance patterns.
- PMC Free PDF
- Disseminated Bisifusarium infection following toxic epidermal necrolysis in a child with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. [Case Reports]Pediatr Dermatol. 2022 Nov 05 [Online ahead of print]PD
- Fusarium is a polyphyletic genus of plant pathogens, members of which can cause opportunistic human infections with varying superficial and systemic presentations, including disseminated infections which typically occur in immunocompromised patients and have a poor prognosis. Treatment is challenging due to intrinsic resistance to many antifungal agents, and antifungal susceptibility testing is t…
- Publisher Full Text (DOI)
- A complete clinico-epidemiological and microbiological profile of candidemia cases in a tertiary-care hospital in Western India. [Journal Article]
- CONCLUSIONS: The emergence of highly resistant isolates like C. auris emphasizes the need for constant monitoring of candidemia cases for species identification and routine antifungal susceptibility so that appropriate measures can be taken to reduce the related morbidity and mortality.
- PMC Free PDF
- Balamuthia mandrillaris brain infection: a rare cause of a ring-enhancing central nervous system lesion. Illustrative case. [Journal Article]
- CONCLUSIONS: Rapid antimicrobial therapy with miltefosine, azithromycin, fluconazole, flucytosine, sulfadiazine, and albendazole was initiated. The pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of this infection and the patient's course were reviewed. The importance of biopsy for pathologic and laboratory diagnosis and rapid treatment initiation with a multidisciplinary team was reinforced.
- PMC Free PDF
- Antifungal Combinations against Candida Species: From Bench to Bedside. [Review]
- Candida spp. is the major causative agent of fungal infections in hospitalized patients and the fourth most common cause of nosocomial bloodstream infection (BSI). The availability of standardized methods for testing the in vitro activity of antifungals along with the expanding of antifungal armamentarium, the rising of drug-resistance and the persistence of a high mortality rate in systemic cand…
- PMC Free PDF
- The acceptability of the AMBITION-cm treatment regimen for HIV-associated cryptococcal meningitis: Findings from a qualitative methods study of participants and researchers in Botswana and Uganda. [Journal Article]
- CONCLUSIONS: The AmBisome regimen was highly acceptable, being simpler to administer despite the initial time investment required. The regimen was well tolerated and associated with less toxicity and resultant management. Widespread implementation would reduce the clinical workload of healthcare workers caring for patients with HIV-associated cryptococcal meningitis.
- PMC Free PDF
- The RNA helicase Ski2 in the fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans highlights key roles in azoles resistance and stress tolerance. [Journal Article]Med Mycol. 2022 Nov 07; 60(11)MM
- The yeast SKI (superkiller) complex was originally identified from cells that were infected by the M 'killer' virus. Ski2, as the core of the SKI complex, is a cytoplasmic cofactor and regulator of RNA-degrading exosome. The putative RNA helicase Ski2 was highly conserved from yeast to animals and has been demonstrated to play a key role in the regulation of RNA surveillance, temperature sensitiv…
- Publisher Full Text (DOI)
- Candida Manassasensis Infection in Mass Mortality Case of Siberian Sturgeon Acipenser Baerii Fingerlings in the Republic of Korea: A Case Report. [Case Reports]J Aquat Anim Health. 2022 12; 34(4):167-173.JA
- With the growing demand for caviar products, sturgeon (family Acipenseridae) have become some of the most popular species in the aquaculture industry. Since sturgeon need more than 10 years to become sexually mature, protection against fatal diseases becomes particularly important in the industry. In March 2018, approximately 10% of Siberian Sturgeon Acipenser baerii fingerlings in a sturgeon hat…
- Publisher Full Text (DOI)
- Cryptococcus neoformans Presenting as a Lung Mass in an Immunocompromised Patient. [Case Reports]
- BACKGROUND Pulmonary cryptococcosis is an uncommon infection mainly affecting immunocompromised individuals. Presentation of cryptococcal disease ranges from asymptomatic pulmonary colonization to severe pneumonia. It can progress to acute respiratory failure and life-threatening meningoencephalitis. CASE REPORT A 55-year-old woman with a history of a kidney transplant, on immunosuppressive thera…
- PMC Free PDF