Intravenous Cyclophosphamide Therapy for Anti-IFN-γ Autoantibody-Associated Talaromyces marneffei Infection

From Mendel to mycoses: Immuno-genomic warfare at the human-fungus interface

Fungi are opportunists: They particularly require a defect of immunity to cause severe or disseminated disease. While often secondary to an apparent iatrogenic cause, fungal diseases do occur in the absence of one, albeit infrequently. These rare cases may be due to an underlying genetic immunodeficiency that can present variably in age of onset, severity, or other infections, and in the absence of a family history of disease. They may also be due to anti-cytokine autoantibodies. This review provides a background on how human genetics or autoantibodies underlie cases of susceptibility to severe or disseminated fungal disease. Subsequently, the lessons learned from these inborn errors of immunity marked by fungal disease (IEI-FD) provide a framework to begin to mechanistically decipher fungal syndromes, potentially paving the way for precision therapy of the mycoses.

Anticytokine Autoantibodies in Infectious Diseases: A Practical Overview

Anticytokine autoantibodies (ACAAs) are a fascinating group of antibodies that have gained more and more attention in the field of autoimmunity and secondary immunodeficiencies over the years. Some of these antibodies are characterized by their ability to target and neutralize specific cytokines. ACAAs can play a role in the susceptibility to several infectious diseases, and their infectious manifestations depending on which specific immunological pathway is affected. In this review, we will give an outline per infection in which ACAAs might play a role and whether additional immunomodulatory treatment next to antimicrobial treatment can be considered. Finally, we describe the areas for future research on ACAAs.

Brain Nocardiosis and Pulmonary Talaromycosis Infection in a Patient with Anti-IFN-γ Autoantibodies: A Case Report

Adult-onset acquired immunodeficiency caused by anti-IFN-γ autoantibodies is associated with severe opportunistic infection. Due to lack of specific symptoms and different manifestations, this form of infection can be easily misdiagnosed or overlooked. Herein, we present a case of Nocardia farcinica and Talaromyces marneffei co-infection in a patient with anti-IFN-γ autoantibodies (AIGAs). The patient, a 54-year-old man, presented with a 1-month history of fever, coughing and expectoration, dizziness, headache and gait imbalance. Laboratory workup revealed increased inflammatory markers, negative anti-HIV antibody and a high positive titer of AIGAs. Chest computed tomography (CT) showed multiple patches of high-density shadows in both lungs, and brain enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed an irregular lesion. The patient underwent a craniotomy for resection of the lesion. Pulmonary T. marneffei infection was diagnosed through sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid culture, and brain nocardiosis was confirmed via purulent fluid culture of brain tissue. With regular antibiotic therapy, his symptoms improved and there was no recurrence during 18-month follow-up. This may be the first detailed case report detailing infection with these two distinct pathogens in disparate anatomical locations.

Anticytokine Autoantibodies and Fungal Infections

Anticytokine autoantibodies (ACAAs) can cause adult onset immunodeficiencies which mimic primary immunodeficiencies and can present as refractory and severe fungal infections. This paper provides an overview of the role of innate immunity, including key cytokines, in fungal infections and then describes four clinical scenarios where ACAAs are associated with severe presentations of a fungal infection: (1) Talaromyces marneffei infection and anti-interferon-γ, (2) histoplasmosis and anti-interferon-γ, (3) Cryptococcus gattii infection and anti-GM-CSF, and (4) mucocutaneous candidiasis and anti-IL-17A/F (IL-22). Testing for ACAAs and potential therapeutic options are discussed.

Of Mycelium and Men: Inherent Human Susceptibility to Fungal Diseases

In medical mycology, the main context of disease is iatrogenic-based disease. However, historically, and occasionally, even today, fungal diseases affect humans with no obvious risk factors, sometimes in a spectacular fashion. The field of “inborn errors of immunity” (IEI) has deduced at least some of these previously enigmatic cases; accordingly, the discovery of single-gene disorders with penetrant clinical effects and their immunologic dissection have provided a framework with which to understand some of the key pathways mediating human susceptibility to mycoses. By extension, they have also enabled the identification of naturally occurring auto-antibodies to cytokines that phenocopy such susceptibility. This review provides a comprehensive update of IEI and autoantibodies that inherently predispose humans to various fungal diseases.