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Liang D, Li X. Concomitant of Cryptococcal Meningitis and COVID-19 in a Female Patient with Primary Nephrotic Syndrome and Type 2 Diabetes. Risk Manag Healthc Policy 2024; 17:279-285. [PMID: 38313397 PMCID: PMC10838511 DOI: 10.2147/rmhp.s451991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Patients with primary nephrotic syndrome (PNS) are at an increased risk of developing various infections due to the long-term use of immunosuppressive agents. Cryptococcal meningitis (CM) is an uncommon but severe complication that can occur in patients with PNS, particularly those receiving immunosuppressive medications. Case Description This case report describes a middle-aged female patient with PNS and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who developed CM. She received a combination regimen of cyclophosphamide and prednisone, achieving partial remission of PNS. However, she later returned to the hospital with high fever and headache. At admission, her nasopharyngeal swab test was positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and she received therapy of dexamethasone and favipiravir, but her fever and headache were not improved. Following a lumbar puncture was performed for her and CM was diagnosed based on a positive Cryptococcus culture in the cerebrospinal fluid. The patient's cyclophosphamides were temporarily discontinued, and antifungal therapy with amphotericin B liposome and fluconazole was initiated. Despite a noticeable increase in her blood glucose levels due to infection during her hospitalization, she showed improvement with intensified glycemic control treatment. The anti-infection showed significant effectiveness, and the patient's proteinuria remained stable during follow-up. Conclusion The patient with PNS and T2DM was concurrently diagnosed with both CM and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), marking the first reported case of such co-infections in these patients. Prompt diagnosis and appropriate antifungal therapy are crucial for improved outcomes of PNS patients with CM and COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongrui Liang
- 2nd Department of Ophthalmology, Baoding No.1 Central Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Baoding, Hebei, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaodong Li
- Department of Nephrology, Baoding No.1 Central Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Baoding, Hebei, People’s Republic of China
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Zhao H, Lu Y, Li S, Qin J, Xu M, Ye H, Yang Z, Rao J, Chen G, Su F, Hu Z, Xu L. Voriconazole plus flucytosine is not superior to amphotericin B deoxycholate plus flucytosine as an induction regimen for cryptococcal meningitis treatment. Mycoses 2024; 67:e13674. [PMID: 37986630 DOI: 10.1111/myc.13674] [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: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The efficacy and side effects of voriconazole plus 5-flucytosine (Vori + 5-FC) versus amphotericin B deoxycholate plus 5-flucytosine (AmBd + 5-FC) as an induction treatment for cryptococcal meningitis are unknown. METHODS Forty-seven patients treated with Vori + 5-FC and 92 patients treated with AmBd + 5-FC were included in the current study after propensity score matching (PSM) at a ratio of 1:2. Two-week laboratory test results and 90-day mortality were compared between the two groups. RESULTS After 2 weeks of induction treatment, the CSF Cryptococcus sterile culture rate was 57.1% in the Vori + 5-FC group and 76.5% in the AmBd + 5-FC group (p = .026). No difference was found in the normalization of CSF indicators (glucose, total protein, intracranial pressure and India ink sterile rate) between the two groups. Both the Vori + 5FC regimen and AmBd + 5-FC regimen obviously decreased haemoglobin concentrations, platelet counts and serum potassium levels (all p ≤ .010). Notably, the Vori + 5FC regimen did not influence serum creatinine levels (p = .263), while AmBd + 5FC increased serum creatinine levels (p = .019) after 2-week induction treatment. The Vori + 5-FC group and AmBd + 5-FC group had similar 90-day cumulative survival rates (89.9% vs. 87.8%, p = .926). CONCLUSION The Vori + 5-FC regimen was associated with low 2-week CSF sterile culture and was not superior to AmBd + 5-FC as induction therapy in terms of the 90-day cumulative survival rate of CM patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Handan Zhao
- National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- The State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yanqiu Lu
- Chongqing Public Health Medical Center, Southwest University Public Health Hospital, Chongqing, China
| | - Shan Li
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Ninth Hospital of Nanchang, Nanchang, China
| | - Jiangying Qin
- National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Miaomiao Xu
- Department of Infectious Disease, The Second Hospital of Nanjing, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Hui Ye
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Wenzhou Central Hospital, Wenzhou, China
| | - Zongxing Yang
- Xixi Hospital of Hangzhou, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jianfeng Rao
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Ninth Hospital of Nanchang, Nanchang, China
| | - Guochun Chen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Third Peoples' Hospital of Changzhou, Changzhou, China
| | - Feifei Su
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Wenzhou Central Hospital, Wenzhou, China
| | - Zhiliang Hu
- Department of Infectious Disease, The Second Hospital of Nanjing, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Lijun Xu
- National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- The State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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Bisso BN, Makuété AL, Tsopmene JU, Dzoyem JP. Biofilm Formation and Phospholipase and Proteinase Production in Cryptococcus neoformans Clinical Isolates and Susceptibility towards Some Bioactive Natural Products. ScientificWorldJournal 2023; 2023:6080489. [PMID: 37035538 PMCID: PMC10081907 DOI: 10.1155/2023/6080489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background. Cryptococcosis is one of the most common fungal infections in immunocompromised patients, which is caused by Cryptococcus neoformans. However, relatively little is known about the virulence factors of C. neoformans and the incidence of antifungal drug resistance in C. neoformans is rapidly increasing. This study was undertaken to investigate the virulence factors in C. neoformans, thymol, curcumin, piperine, gallic acid, eugenol, and plumbagin for their potential antimicrobial activity against C. neoformans. Methods. The production of phospholipase and proteinase was detected using standard methods. Biofilm formation was determined using the microtiter plate method. The broth microdilution method was used to determine the antifungal activity. The antibiofilm activity was assessed using the safranin staining method. Results. All isolates of C. neoformans produced biofilms with optical density values ranging from 0.16 to 0.89. A majority of C. neoformans isolates that were tested exhibited strong phospholipase (7/8) and proteinase (5/8) production. Plumbagin (with minimum inhibitory concentration values ranging from 4 to 16 μg/mL) showed the highest antifungal activity followed by thymol (with minimum biofilm inhibitory concentration values ranging from 8 to 64 μg/mL). In addition, plumbagin showed the highest antibiofilm activity with minimum biofilm inhibitory concentration and minimum biofilm eradication concentration values ranging from 4 to 16 μg/mL and 32 to 256 μg/mL, respectively. Conclusion. Plumbagin, compared to other natural products studied, was the most efficient in terms of antifungal and antibiofilm activities. Hence, plumbagin could be used in combination with antifungals for the development of new anticryptococcal drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Borel Ndezo Bisso
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon
| | - Alvine Lonkeng Makuété
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon
| | - Joël Ulrich Tsopmene
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon
| | - Jean Paul Dzoyem
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon
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