1
|
Gifford A, Jayawardena N, Carlesse F, Lizarazo J, McMullan B, Groll AH, Warris A. Pediatric Cryptococcosis. Pediatr Infect Dis J 2024; 43:307-312. [PMID: 38241632 DOI: 10.1097/inf.0000000000004216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Seroprevalence studies have shown that 70% of children are exposed to Cryptococcus , the most common cause of meningitis in people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), but reported pediatric disease prevalence is much lower than in adults. METHODS PubMed and Ovid Global Health databases were searched with the terms "cryptococcosis," "cryptococcal meningitis," " Cryptococcus neoformans " or " Cryptococcus gattii ." All studies reporting pediatric specific data in the English language from 1980 up until December 2022 were included. RESULTS One hundred sixty-eight publications were reviewed totaling 1469 children, with the majority reported from Africa (54.2%). Sixty-five percent (961) were HIV positive, 10% (147) were non-HIV immunocompromised and 19% (281) were immunocompetent. Clinical signs and symptoms were only reported for 458 children, with fever (64%), headache (55%) and vomiting (39%) being the most common. Most children (80%) suffered from meningoencephalitis. Lung involvement was rarely described in HIV-positive children (1%), but significantly more common in the non-HIV immunocompromised (36%) and immunocompetent (40%) groups ( P < 0.0001). Only 22% received the recommended antifungal combination therapy, which was significantly higher in immunocompetent children than those with HIV (39% vs. 6.8%; P < 0.0001). Overall mortality was 23%. A significant higher mortality was observed in children with HIV compared with immunocompetent children (32% vs. 16%; P < 0.001), but not compared with children with non-HIV immunosuppression (25). CONCLUSIONS This is the largest review of pediatric cryptococcosis with new observations on differences in clinical presentation and outcome depending on the underlying condition. The lack of granular clinical data urges prospective clinical epidemiological studies for improved insight in the epidemiology, management and outcome of cryptococcosis in children.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alison Gifford
- MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Naamal Jayawardena
- MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Fabianne Carlesse
- Pediatric Department, Federal University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paolo, Brazil
- Grupo de Apoio ao Adolescente e à Criança com Câncer (GRAACC), Oncology Pediatric Institute, Federal University of São Paulo, Sao Paolo, Brazil
| | - Jairo Lizarazo
- Faculty of Health, Hospital Universitario Erasmo Meoz de Cúcuta, Universidad de Pamplona, Cucuta, Colombia
| | - Brendan McMullan
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Sydney Children's Hospital Randwick, Sydney, Australia
| | - Andreas H Groll
- Department of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Infectious Disease Research Program, Center for Bone Marrow Transplantation, Children's University Hospital Münster, Munster, Germany
| | - Adilia Warris
- MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Osborn MR, Spec A, Mazi PB. Management of HIV-Associated Cryptococcal Meningitis. CURRENT FUNGAL INFECTION REPORTS 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s12281-023-00458-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
|
3
|
Becerra-Álvarez P, Escandón P, Lizarazo J, Quirós-Gómez Ó, Firacative C. Cryptococcus neoformans- and Cryptococcus gattii-specific IgG, IgA and IgM differ among children and adults with and without cryptococcosis from Colombia. Med Mycol 2022; 60:6692868. [PMID: 36066645 DOI: 10.1093/mmy/myac067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryptococcus neoformans (Cn) and Cryptococcus gattii (Cg) cause cryptococcosis, a life-threatening systemic mycosis of global distribution affecting mainly immunocompromised adults. Although a humoral response occurs during cryptococcosis, the role of antibody production against this mycosis is not fully understood. We aimed to determine total and specific antibodies against cryptococcal protein antigens in sera from people with and without diagnosis of cryptococcosis from Colombia. Using ELISA, total and specific levels of immunoglobulin (Ig)G, IgA and IgM were determined in sera from children and adults with (n = 109) and without (n = 119) cryptococcosis. Specific antibodies were those binding Cn- and Cg-protein antigens. In general, the mean of the total IgG production was higher in cryptococcosis patients than in controls (13 942.32 vs. 6459.91 µg/ml), while levels of IgA (488.13 vs. 1564.53 µg/ml) and IgM (775.69 vs. 1014.72 µg/ml) were higher in controls than in cryptococcosis patients (p ≤ 0.05). In patients with cryptococcosis, total IgG, IgA and IgM levels were higher in HIV + compared with HIV- (p ≤ 0.05). Specific antibodies tended to be higher in cryptococcosis patients than in controls and in adults than in children, with a positive correlation between antibody reactivity and age. All immunoglobulins were more reactive against Cn-proteins than Cg-proteins. Overall, a positive weak correlation between total and specific antibodies was found, although not always statistically significant. In patients with cryptococcosis from Colombia, the levels of immunoglobulins, total and specific, differ with respect to people without cryptococcosis. Variations in antibody production among adults and children with cryptococcosis and between Cn- and Cg-protein antigens were as well established. Our findings encourage further studies to determine the role of humoral immunity for host defence against cryptococcosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paola Becerra-Álvarez
- Studies in Translational Microbiology and Emerging Diseases (MICROS) Research Group, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogota, Colombia
| | - Patricia Escandón
- Group of Microbiology, National Institute of Health, Bogota, Colombia
| | - Jairo Lizarazo
- Internal Medicine Department, Hospital Universitario Erasmo Meoz, Universidad de Pamplona, Cúcuta, Colombia
| | - Óscar Quirós-Gómez
- Group of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Universidad CES, Medellin, Colombia
| | - Carolina Firacative
- Studies in Translational Microbiology and Emerging Diseases (MICROS) Research Group, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogota, Colombia
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Xie Y, Zhou X, Zhang J, Yu H, Song Z. Immunomodulatory responses of differentially polarized macrophages to fungal infections. Int Immunopharmacol 2022; 111:109089. [PMID: 35964406 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2022.109089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Revised: 07/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Macrophages, the first line of defense against invasive fungi in the innate immune system, are widely distributed in the blood and tissues of the body. In response to various internal and external stimulators, macrophages can polarize into classically activated macrophages (M1) and alternatively activated macrophages (M2). These two types of polarized macrophages play different roles in antifungal activity and in maintaining the steady-state balance between inflammation and tissue repair. However, the antifungal mechanisms of M1- and M2-type macrophages have not been fully described. In this review, the immune regulatory mechanisms against pathogenic fungi of these two classical types of macrophages in various tissues are summarized. The effects of antifungal factors on macrophage differentiation are also highlighted. The description of these data, on the one hand provides valuable insight for future investigations and also highlights new strategies for the treatment of pathogenic fungal infections.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuxin Xie
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, PR China.
| | - Xue Zhou
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, PR China.
| | - Jinping Zhang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, PR China; The Public Platform of Molecular Biotechnology, Public Center of Experimental Technology, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, People's Republic of China.
| | - Hong Yu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, PR China; The Public Platform of Cell Biotechnology, Public Center of Experimental Technology, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, PR China.
| | - Zhangyong Song
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, PR China; The Public Platform of Molecular Biotechnology, Public Center of Experimental Technology, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, People's Republic of China.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Egger M, Hoenigl M, Thompson GR, Carvalho A, Jenks JD. Let's talk about Sex Characteristics - as a Risk Factor for Invasive Fungal Diseases. Mycoses 2022; 65:599-612. [PMID: 35484713 DOI: 10.1111/myc.13449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Biological sex, which comprises differences in host sex hormone homeostasis and immune responses, can have a substantial impact on the epidemiology of infectious diseases. Comprehensive data on sex distributions in invasive fungal diseases (IFDs) is lacking. In this review we performed a literature search of in vitro/animal studies, clinical studies, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses of invasive fungal infections. Females represented 51.2% of invasive candidiasis cases, mostly matching the proportions of females among the general population in the United States and Europe (>51%). In contrast, other IFDs were overrepresented in males, including invasive aspergillosis (51% males), mucormycosis (60%), cryptococcosis (74%), coccidioidomycosis (70%), histoplasmosis (61%), and blastomycosis (66%). Behavioral variations, as well as differences related to biological sex, may only in part explain these findings. Further investigations concerning the association between biological sex/gender and the pathogenesis of IFDs is warranted.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Egger
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Medical University of Graz, Austria
| | - Martin Hoenigl
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Medical University of Graz, Austria.,Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.,Clinical and Translational Fungal - Working Group, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - George R Thompson
- University of California Davis Center for Valley Fever, California, USA.,Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of California Davis Medical Center, California, USA.,Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California Davis, California, USA
| | - Agostinho Carvalho
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's -, PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | | |
Collapse
|
6
|
Gressler AE, Volke D, Firacative C, Schnabel CL, Müller U, Krizsan A, Schulze-Richter B, Brock M, Brombacher F, Escandón P, Hoffmann R, Alber G. Identification of Disease-Associated Cryptococcal Proteins Reactive With Serum IgG From Cryptococcal Meningitis Patients. Front Immunol 2021; 12:709695. [PMID: 34367172 PMCID: PMC8342929 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.709695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Cryptococcus neoformans, an opportunistic fungal pathogen ubiquitously present in the environment, causes cryptococcal meningitis (CM) mainly in immunocompromised patients, such as AIDS patients. We aimed to identify disease-associated cryptococcal protein antigens targeted by the human humoral immune response. Therefore, we used sera from Colombian CM patients, with or without HIV infection, and from healthy individuals living in the same region. Serological analysis revealed increased titers of anti-cryptococcal IgG in HIV-negative CM patients, but not HIV-positive CM patients, compared to healthy controls. In contrast, titers of anti-cryptococcal IgM were not affected by CM. Furthermore, we detected pre-existing IgG and IgM antibodies even in sera from healthy individuals. The observed induction of anti-cryptococcal IgG but not IgM during CM was supported by analysis of sera from C. neoformans-infected mice. Stronger increase in IgG was found in wild type mice with high lung fungal burden compared to IL-4Rα-deficient mice showing low lung fungal burden. To identify the proteins targeted by human anti-cryptococcal IgG antibodies, we applied a quantitative 2D immunoproteome approach identifying cryptococcal protein spots preferentially recognized by sera from CM patients or healthy individuals followed by mass spectrometry analysis. Twenty-three cryptococcal proteins were recombinantly expressed and confirmed to be immunoreactive with human sera. Fourteen of them were newly described as immunoreactive proteins. Twelve proteins were classified as disease-associated antigens, based on significantly stronger immunoreactivity with sera from CM patients compared to healthy individuals. The proteins identified in our screen significantly expand the pool of cryptococcal proteins with potential for (i) development of novel anti-cryptococcal agents based on implications in cryptococcal virulence or survival, or (ii) development of an anti-cryptococcal vaccine, as several candidates lack homology to human proteins and are localized extracellularly. Furthermore, this study defines pre-existing anti-cryptococcal immunoreactivity in healthy individuals at a molecular level, identifying target antigens recognized by sera from healthy control persons.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A Elisabeth Gressler
- Institute of Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Daniela Volke
- Institute of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Carolina Firacative
- Studies in Translational Microbiology and Emerging Diseases (MICROS) Research Group, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogota, Colombia
| | - Christiane L Schnabel
- Institute of Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Uwe Müller
- Institute of Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Andor Krizsan
- Institute of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Bianca Schulze-Richter
- Institute of Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Matthias Brock
- Fungal Genetics and Biology Group, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Frank Brombacher
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Cape Town Component, Cape Town, South Africa
| | | | - Ralf Hoffmann
- Institute of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Gottfried Alber
- Institute of Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Abstract
Although we have recognized cryptococcosis as a disease entity for well over 100 years, there are many details about its pathogenesis which remain unknown. A major barrier to better understanding is the very broad range of clinical and pathological forms cryptococcal infections can take. One such form has been historically called the cryptococcal granuloma, or the cryptococcoma. These words have been used to describe essentially any mass lesion associated with infection, due to their presumed similarity to the quintessential granuloma, the tubercle in tuberculosis. Although clear distinctions between tuberculosis and cryptococcal disease have been discovered, cellular and molecular studies still confirm some important parallels between these 2 diseases and what we now call granulomatous inflammation. In this review, we shall sketch out some of the history behind the term "granuloma" as it pertains to cryptococcal disease, explore our current understanding of the biology of granuloma formation, and try to place that understanding in the context of the myriad pathological presentations of this infection. Finally, we shall summarize the role of the granuloma in cryptococcal latency and present opportunities for future investigations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura C. Ristow
- Stead Family Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa, United States of America
| | - J. Muse Davis
- Stead Family Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Alanio A. Dormancy in Cryptococcus neoformans: 60 years of accumulating evidence. J Clin Invest 2021; 130:3353-3360. [PMID: 32484459 DOI: 10.1172/jci136223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryptococcus neoformans is an opportunistic yeast that is present worldwide and interacts with various organisms. In humans, it is responsible for cryptococcosis, a deadly invasive fungal infection that represents around 220,000 cases per year worldwide. Starting from the natural history of the disease in humans, there is accumulating evidence on the capacity of this organism to enter dormancy. In response to the harsh host environment, the yeast is able to adapt dramatically and escape the vigilance of the host's immune cells to survive. Indeed, the yeast exposed to the host takes on pleiotropic phenotypes, enabling the generation of populations in heterogeneous states, including dormancy, to eventually survive at low metabolic cost and revive in favorable conditions. The concept of dormancy has been validated in C. neoformans from both epidemiological and genotyping data, and more recently from the biological point of view with the characterization of dormancy through the description of viable but nonculturable cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Alanio
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Groupe Hospitalier Saint-Louis-Lariboisière-Fernand-Widal, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Paris, France.,Molecular Mycology Unit, CNRS UMR 2000, National Reference Center for Invasive Mycoses and Antifungals (NRCMA), Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,Université de Paris, Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Marr KA, Sun Y, Spec A, Lu N, Panackal A, Bennett J, Pappas P, Ostrander D, Datta K, Zhang SX, Williamson PR. A Multicenter, Longitudinal Cohort Study of Cryptococcosis in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-negative People in the United States. Clin Infect Dis 2021; 70:252-261. [PMID: 30855688 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciz193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 03/04/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cryptococcosis is increasingly recognized in people without human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). METHODS A multicenter, prospective cohort study was performed in 25 US centers. Consenting patients were prospectively followed for ≤2 years. Neurological morbidities were assessed with longitudinal event depiction and functional scores (Montreal Cognitive Assessment [MoCA]). Risks of death were analyzed using Cox regression. RESULTS One hundred forty-five subjects were enrolled. Most were male (95; 65.5%) and had immunosuppression (120; 82.8%), including solid organ transplant (SOT; 33.8%), autoimmunity (15.9%), and hematologic malignancies (11.7%). Disease involved the central nervous system (CNS) in 71 subjects (49%). Fever was uncommon, documented in 40 (27.8%) subjects, and absence was associated with diagnostic delay (mean: 48.2 vs 16.5 days; P = .007). Abnormal MoCA scores (<26) were predictive of CNS disease; low scores (<22) were associated with poor long-term cognition. Longitudinal event depiction demonstrated frequent complications in people with CNS disease; 25 subjects (35.2%) required >1 lumbar puncture and 8 (11.3%) required ventriculostomies. In multivariable models, older age (>60 years) was associated with higher risks of death (hazard ratio [HR], 2.14; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05-4.38; P = .036), and lower risks were noted with underlying hematologic malignancy (HR, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.09-0.98; P = .05) and prior SOT (HR, 0.153; 95% CI, 0.05-0.44; P = .001). CONCLUSIONS Despite aggressive antifungal therapies, outcomes of CNS cryptococcosis in people without HIV are characterized by substantial long-term neurological sequelae. Studies are needed to understand mechanism(s) of cognitive decline and to enable better treatment algorithms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kieren A Marr
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Yifei Sun
- Department of Biostatistics, Columbia University, New York
| | - Andrej Spec
- Department of Medicine, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Na Lu
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Anil Panackal
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - John Bennett
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Peter Pappas
- Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham
| | - Darin Ostrander
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Kausik Datta
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Sean X Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Peter R Williamson
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | | |
Collapse
|
10
|
Jiang XQ, Zhang YB. Cryptococcal pneumonia in a human immunodeficiency virus-negative patient: A case report. World J Clin Cases 2020; 8:2038-2043. [PMID: 32518798 PMCID: PMC7262701 DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v8.i10.2038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Revised: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cases of cryptococcal pneumonia are frequently observed in patients with various innate or acquired immunodeficiencies, including organ transplant patients, cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome, or patients on dialysis. Fluconazole is most often used to treat this condition when it is detected.
CASE SUMMARY In the present report, we describe the case of a 42-year-old human immunodeficiency virus-negative man with normal immune function who had cryptococcal pneumonia that was diagnosed after undergoing computed tomography-guided percutaneous lung puncture. We successfully treated this patient via administration of 200 mg voriconazole twice per day for 9 mo.
CONCLUSION This report provides evidence of the successful treatment of pulmonary cryptococcosis using voriconazole.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xue-Qin Jiang
- Department of Geriatric Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, Anhui Province, China
| | - Yan-Bei Zhang
- Department of Geriatric Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, Anhui Province, China
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Coelho C, Farrer RA. Pathogen and host genetics underpinning cryptococcal disease. ADVANCES IN GENETICS 2020; 105:1-66. [PMID: 32560785 DOI: 10.1016/bs.adgen.2020.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Cryptococcosis is a severe fungal disease causing 220,000 cases of cryptococcal meningitis yearly. The etiological agents of cryptococcosis are taxonomically grouped into at least two species complexes belonging to the genus Cryptococcus. All of these yeasts are environmentally ubiquitous fungi (often found in soil, leaves and decaying wood, tree hollows, and associated with bird feces especially pigeon guano). Infection in a range of animals including humans begins following inhalation of spores or aerosolized yeasts. Recent advances provide fundamental insights into the factors from both the pathogen and its hosts which influence pathogenesis and disease. The complex interactions leading to disease in mammalian hosts have also updated from the availability of better genomic tools and datasets. In this review, we discuss recent genetic research on Cryptococcus, covering the epidemiology, ecology, and evolution of Cryptococcus pathogenic species. We also discuss the insights into the host immune response obtained from the latest genetic modified host models as well as insights from monogenic disorders in humans. Finally we highlight outstanding questions that can be answered in the near future using bioinformatics and genomic tools.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Coelho
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology at the University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Rhys A Farrer
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology at the University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Guess TE, Rosen J, Castro-Lopez N, Wormley FL, McClelland EE. An inherent T cell deficit in healthy males to C. neoformans infection may begin to explain the sex susceptibility in incidence of cryptococcosis. Biol Sex Differ 2019; 10:44. [PMID: 31477151 PMCID: PMC6720413 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-019-0258-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 08/16/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Cryptococcus neoformans, the causative agent of cryptococcosis, causes ~ 181,000 deaths annually, with males having a higher incidence of disease than females (7M:3F). The reason for this sex bias remains unclear. We hypothesized that this disparity was due to biological differences between the male and female immune response. Methods Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy donors were isolated and infected with C. neoformans ± exogenous testosterone or 17-β-estradiol. C. neoformans, B, T, and NK cell proliferation was quantified by flow cytometry. Cytokine analysis was conducted via protein array or ELISA. Serological testing was conducted to determine previous exposure to C. neoformans. Results C. neoformans proliferated more in male PBMCs. T cell percentages in both sexes were lower in infected versus uninfected cells. Male PBMCs had lower CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T cells percentages during infection compared to females. Cytokine profiles showed differences in uninfected male and female PBMCs, which subsided during infection. Only one donor was sero-negative for prior C. neoformans exposure. There was an effect of estrogen in one dataset. Conclusions These results suggest that males show an inherent deficit in T cell response during infection, which may contribute to the increased incidence of disease in males. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13293-019-0258-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany E Guess
- Department of Biology, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN, USA
| | - Joseph Rosen
- Department of Biology, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN, USA
| | - Natalia Castro-Lopez
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.,South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Floyd L Wormley
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.,South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Erin E McClelland
- Department of Biology, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Guess TE, Rosen JA, McClelland EE. An Overview of Sex Bias in C. neoformans Infections. J Fungi (Basel) 2018; 4:E49. [PMID: 29670032 PMCID: PMC6023476 DOI: 10.3390/jof4020049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Revised: 04/02/2018] [Accepted: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryptococcosis, a fungal disease arising from the etiologic agent Cryptococcus neoformans, sickens a quarter of a million people annually, resulting in over 180,000 deaths. Interestingly, males are affected by cryptococcosis more frequently than females, a phenomenon observed for more than a half century. This disparity is seen in both HIV− (~3M:1F) and HIV⁺ (~8M:2F) populations of cryptococcal patients. In humans, male sex is considered a pre-disposing risk factor for cryptococcosis and males suffering from the disease have more severe symptoms and poorer outcomes. There are numerous observational, clinical and epidemiological studies documenting the male disadvantage in C. neoformans but with no further explanation of cause or mechanism. Despite being commonly acknowledged, little primary research has been conducted elucidating the reasons for these differences. The research that has been conducted, however, suggests sex hormones are a likely cause. Given that the sex difference is both prevalent and accepted by many researchers in the field, it is surprising that more is not known. This review highlights the data regarding differences in sexual dimorphism in C. neoformans infections and suggests future directions to close the research gap in this area.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany E Guess
- Department of Biology, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN 37132, USA.
| | - Joseph A Rosen
- Department of Biology, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN 37132, USA.
| | - Erin E McClelland
- Department of Biology, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN 37132, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Scriven JE, Botha FCJ, Schutz C, Lalloo DG, Wainwright H, Meintjes G. Paradoxical respiratory failure due to cryptococcal pneumonia after amphotericin B treatment for HIV-associated cryptococcal meningitis. Med Mycol Case Rep 2018; 19:38-40. [PMID: 29379704 PMCID: PMC5775074 DOI: 10.1016/j.mmcr.2017.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2016] [Revised: 02/21/2017] [Accepted: 02/27/2017] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
We present a 27-year-old lady with HIV-1 infection who died due to rapidly worsening respiratory failure one day after commencing amphotericin B deoxycholate therapy for cryptococcal meningitis. Chest x-ray appearances were consistent with pneumocystis pneumonia but post mortem examination showed evidence of severe necrotizing cryptococcal pneumonia. Cryptococcal pneumonia is an underrecognized condition and should be considered in the differential of patients with HIV-1 infection and low CD4 count who develop respiratory symptoms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James E. Scriven
- Clinical Infectious Diseases Research Initiative, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Observatory, 7925, South Africa
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Francois CJ Botha
- Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town and Groote Schuur Hospital, Observatory, 7925, South Africa
| | - Charlotte Schutz
- Clinical Infectious Diseases Research Initiative, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Observatory, 7925, South Africa
- Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town and Groote Schuur Hospital, Observatory, 7925, South Africa
| | | | - Helen Wainwright
- Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town and Groote Schuur Hospital, Observatory, 7925, South Africa
| | - Graeme Meintjes
- Clinical Infectious Diseases Research Initiative, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Observatory, 7925, South Africa
- Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town and Groote Schuur Hospital, Observatory, 7925, South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
A Zebrafish Model of Cryptococcal Infection Reveals Roles for Macrophages, Endothelial Cells, and Neutrophils in the Establishment and Control of Sustained Fungemia. Infect Immun 2016; 84:3047-62. [PMID: 27481252 PMCID: PMC5038067 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00506-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2016] [Accepted: 07/27/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Cryptococcal meningoencephalitis is a fungal infection that predominantly affects immunocompromised patients and is uniformly fatal if left untreated. Timely diagnosis is difficult, and screening or prophylactic measures have generally not been successful. Thus, we need a better understanding of early, asymptomatic pathogenesis. Inhaled cryptococci must survive the host immune response, escape the lung, and persist within the bloodstream in order to reach and invade the brain. Here we took advantage of the zebrafish larval infection model to assess the process of cryptococcal infection and disease development sequentially in a single host. Using yeast or spores as infecting particles, we discovered that both cell types survived and replicated intracellularly and that both ultimately established a sustained, low-level fungemia. We propose that the establishment and maintenance of this sustained fungemia is an important stage of disease progression that has been difficult to study in other model systems. Our data suggest that sustained fungemia resulted from a pattern of repeated escape from, and reuptake by, macrophages, but endothelial cells were also seen to play a role as a niche for cryptococcal survival. Circulating yeast collected preferentially in the brain vasculature and eventually invaded the central nervous system (CNS). As suggested previously in a mouse model, we show here that neutrophils can play a valuable role in limiting the sustained fungemia, which can lead to meningoencephalitis. This early stage of pathogenesis-a balanced interaction between cryptococcal cells, macrophages, endothelial cells, and neutrophils-could represent a window for timely detection and intervention strategies for cryptococcal meningoencephalitis.
Collapse
|
16
|
Abstract
Cryptococcosis is infrequent in children, and isolated cryptococcal osteomyelitis is rarely encountered. Here, we describe a 14-year-old patient in remission from T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia with osteomyelitis because of Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii. The patient was effectively treated with antifungal therapy.
Collapse
|
17
|
Grahnert A, Müller U, von Buttlar H, Treudler R, Alber G. Analysis of asthma patients for cryptococcal seroreactivity in an urban German area. Med Mycol 2015; 53:576-86. [PMID: 26026172 DOI: 10.1093/mmy/myv024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2015] [Accepted: 03/17/2015] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Cryptococcus neoformans is an opportunistic fungal pathogen that causes lung inflammation and meningoencephalitis in immunocompromised patients but is also able to asymptomatically infect immunocompetent individuals. C. neoformans is found ubiquitously especially in urban areas where it is spread by pigeons, and fungal exposure may predispose for asthma development already at an early age, as soon as confronted with pigeon droppings. In the study presented here, we investigated the presence of specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) against C. neoformans in sera from patients suffering from asthma in comparison to a healthy control cohort, accrued from the Leipzig Research Centre for Civilization Diseases (LIFE). For serological analysis we developed a flow cytometry (FACS) based assay specific for an acapsular strain of C. neoformans to comprehensively analyze different cryptococcal serotypes. Compared with the non-asthmatic cohort, asthmatics exhibited, as expected, an elevated level of total serum immunoglobulin E (IgE), whereas the IgG seroreactivity against C. neoformans was not significantly different among the two groups (P = .118). Nevertheless, there was a trend toward increased Cryptococcus-specific IgG antibodies in the serum of asthmatics. Additionally, in male asthmatics an increased IgG-mediated seroreactivity compared to female asthmatics was found. This points to a higher prevalence of subclinical C. neoformans infection in male asthmatics and may support the hypothesis of C. neoformans as a risk factor for the development of asthma in urban areas.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Grahnert
- Institute of Immunology/Molecular Pathogenesis, Center for Biotechnology and Biomedicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Uwe Müller
- Institute of Immunology/Molecular Pathogenesis, Center for Biotechnology and Biomedicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Heiner von Buttlar
- Institute of Immunology/Molecular Pathogenesis, Center for Biotechnology and Biomedicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Regina Treudler
- Department of Dermatology, Venerology & Allergology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany LIFE-Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases, Universität Leipzig, Germany
| | - Gottfried Alber
- Institute of Immunology/Molecular Pathogenesis, Center for Biotechnology and Biomedicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany LIFE-Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases, Universität Leipzig, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Panackal AA, Wuest SC, Lin YC, Wu T, Zhang N, Kosa P, Komori M, Blake A, Browne SK, Rosen LB, Hagen F, Meis J, Levitz SM, Quezado M, Hammoud D, Bennett JE, Bielekova B, Williamson PR. Paradoxical Immune Responses in Non-HIV Cryptococcal Meningitis. PLoS Pathog 2015; 11:e1004884. [PMID: 26020932 PMCID: PMC4447450 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1004884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2014] [Accepted: 04/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The fungus Cryptococcus is a major cause of meningoencephalitis in HIV-infected as well as HIV-uninfected individuals with mortalities in developed countries of 20% and 30%, respectively. In HIV-related disease, defects in T-cell immunity are paramount, whereas there is little understanding of mechanisms of susceptibility in non-HIV related disease, especially that occurring in previously healthy adults. The present description is the first detailed immunological study of non-HIV-infected patients including those with severe central nervous system (s-CNS) disease to 1) identify mechanisms of susceptibility as well as 2) understand mechanisms underlying severe disease. Despite the expectation that, as in HIV, T-cell immunity would be deficient in such patients, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) immunophenotyping, T-cell activation studies, soluble cytokine mapping and tissue cellular phenotyping demonstrated that patients with s-CNS disease had effective microbiological control, but displayed strong intrathecal expansion and activation of cells of both the innate and adaptive immunity including HLA-DR+ CD4+ and CD8+ cells and NK cells. These expanded CSF T cells were enriched for cryptococcal-antigen specific CD4+ cells and expressed high levels of IFN-γ as well as a lack of elevated CSF levels of typical T-cell specific Th2 cytokines -- IL-4 and IL-13. This inflammatory response was accompanied by elevated levels of CSF NFL, a marker of axonal damage, consistent with ongoing neurological damage. However, while tissue macrophage recruitment to the site of infection was intact, polarization studies of brain biopsy and autopsy specimens demonstrated an M2 macrophage polarization and poor phagocytosis of fungal cells. These studies thus expand the paradigm for cryptococcal disease susceptibility to include a prominent role for macrophage activation defects and suggest a spectrum of disease whereby severe neurological disease is characterized by immune-mediated host cell damage. Cryptococcus is an important cause of fungal meningitis with significant mortality globally. Susceptibility to the fungus in humans has been related to T-lymphocyte defects in HIV-infected individuals, but little is known about possible immune defects in non HIV-infected patients including previously healthy individuals. This latter group also has some of the worst response rates to therapy with almost a third dying in the United States, despite available therapy. Here we conducted the first detailed immunological analysis of non-HIV apparently immunocompetent individuals with active cryptococcal disease. In contrast to HIV-infected individuals, these studies identified a highly activated antigen-presenting dendritic cell population within CSF, accompanied by a highly active T-lymphocyte population with potentially damaging inflammatory cytokine responses. Furthermore, elevated levels of CSF neurofilament light chains (NFL), a marker of axonal damage in severe central nervous system infections suggest a dysfunctional role to this acute inflammatory state. Paradoxically, CSF macrophage proportions were reduced in patients with severe disease and biopsy and autopsy samples identified alternatively activated tissue macrophage populations that failed to appropriately phagocytose fungal cells. Our study thus provides new insights into the susceptibility to human cryptococcal disease and identifies a paradoxically active T-lymphocyte response that may be amenable to adjunctive immunomodulation to improve treatment outcomes in this high-mortality disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anil A. Panackal
- Laboratory of Clinical Infectious Diseases, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, F. Hebert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS), Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Simone C. Wuest
- Neuroimmunological Diseases Unit, Neuroimmunology Branch, National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke (NINDS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Yen-Chih Lin
- Neuroimmunological Diseases Unit, Neuroimmunology Branch, National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke (NINDS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Tianxia Wu
- Neuroimmunological Diseases Unit, Neuroimmunology Branch, National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke (NINDS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Nannan Zhang
- Laboratory of Clinical Infectious Diseases, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Peter Kosa
- Neuroimmunological Diseases Unit, Neuroimmunology Branch, National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke (NINDS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Mika Komori
- Neuroimmunological Diseases Unit, Neuroimmunology Branch, National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke (NINDS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Andrew Blake
- Neuroimmunological Diseases Unit, Neuroimmunology Branch, National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke (NINDS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Sarah K. Browne
- Laboratory of Clinical Infectious Diseases, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Lindsey B. Rosen
- Laboratory of Clinical Infectious Diseases, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Ferry Hagen
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jacques Meis
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Stuart M. Levitz
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Martha Quezado
- Laboratory of Pathology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Dima Hammoud
- Center for Infectious Disease Imaging, Radiology and Imaging Sciences, National Institutes of Health/Clinical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - John E. Bennett
- Laboratory of Clinical Infectious Diseases, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Bibi Bielekova
- Neuroimmunological Diseases Unit, Neuroimmunology Branch, National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke (NINDS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail: (BB); (PRW)
| | - Peter R. Williamson
- Laboratory of Clinical Infectious Diseases, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail: (BB); (PRW)
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Coelho C, Bocca AL, Casadevall A. The tools for virulence of Cryptococcus neoformans. ADVANCES IN APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY 2014; 87:1-41. [PMID: 24581388 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-800261-2.00001-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Cryptococcus neoformans is a fungal pathogen that causes almost half a million deaths each year. It is believed that most humans are infected with C. neoformans, possibly in a form that survives through latency in the lung and can reactivate to cause disease if the host becomes immunosuppressed. C. neoformans has a remarkably sophisticated intracellular survival capacities yet it is a free-living fungus with no requirement for mammalian virulence whatsoever. In this review, we discuss the tools that C. neoformans possesses to achieve survival, latency and virulence within its host. Some of these tools are mechanisms to withstand starvation and others aim to protect against microbicidal molecules produced by the immune system. Furthermore, we discuss how these tools were acquired through evolutionary pressures and perhaps accidental stochastic events, all of which combined to produce an organism with an unusual and unique intracellular pathogenic strategy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Coelho
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, New York, USA; Centre for Neuroscience and Cell Biology of Coimbra, Institute of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Anamelia Lorenzetti Bocca
- Department of Cellular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
| | - Arturo Casadevall
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, New York, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
McClelland EE, Hobbs LM, Rivera J, Casadevall A, Potts WK, Smith JM, Ory JJ. The role of host gender in the pathogenesis of Cryptococcus neoformans infections. PLoS One 2013; 8:e63632. [PMID: 23741297 PMCID: PMC3669355 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0063632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2012] [Accepted: 04/09/2013] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Cryptococcus neoformans (Cn) is a pathogenic yeast and the cause of cryptococcal meningitis. Prevalence of disease between males and females is skewed, with males having an increased incidence of disease. Based on the reported gender susceptibility differences to Cn in the literature, we used clinical isolates from Botswanan HIV-infected patients to test the hypothesis that different gender environments exerted different selective pressures on Cn. When we examined this data set, we found that men had significantly higher risk of death despite having significantly higher CD4+ T lymphocyte counts upon admittance to the hospital. These observations suggested that Cn strains are uniquely adapted to different host gender environments and that the male immune response may be less efficient in controlling Cn infection. To discriminate between these possibilities, we tested whether there were phenotypic differences between strains isolated from males and females and whether there was an interaction between Cn and the host immune response. Virulence phenotypes showed that Cn isolates from females had longer doubling times and released more capsular glucoronoxylomannan (GXM). The presence of testosterone but not 17-β estradiol was associated with higher levels of GXM release for a laboratory strain and 28 clinical isolates. We also measured phagocytic efficiency, survival of Cn, and amount of killing of human macrophages by Cn after incubation with four isolates. While macrophages from females phagocytosed more Cn than macrophages from males, male macrophages had a higher fungal burden and showed increased killing by Cn. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that differential interaction between Cn and macrophages within different gender environments contribute to the increased prevalence of cryptococcosis in males. This could be related to differential expression of cryptococcal virulence genes and capsule metabolism, changes in Cn phagocytosis and increased death of Cn-infected macrophages.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Erin E McClelland
- The Commonwealth Medical College, Department of Basic Sciences, Scranton, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
21
|
Meiring ST, Quan VC, Cohen C, Dawood H, Karstaedt AS, McCarthy KM, Whitelaw AC, Govender NP. A comparison of cases of paediatric-onset and adult-onset cryptococcosis detected through population-based surveillance, 2005-2007. AIDS 2012; 26:2307-14. [PMID: 22739390 DOI: 10.1097/qad.0b013e3283570567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We compared the epidemiology of laboratory-confirmed paediatric cryptococcal disease with adult-onset disease in the South African population. METHODS The study was an active, prospective, population-based, laboratory-based surveillance in South Africa. We compared cases of paediatric cryptococcosis (<15 years) with cases of adult-onset cryptococcosis that were reported to the surveillance programme between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2007. The case definition was based on a positive India ink test, cryptococcal antigen test or cryptococcal culture. Clinical case data were obtained at enhanced surveillance sites. RESULTS Of 16,192 incident episodes of cryptococcosis in South Africa, 361 (2%) episodes occurred among children. In 2007, incidence was one and 19 cases per 100,000 persons in the general paediatric and adult populations and was 47 and 120 cases per 100,000 persons for HIV-infected children and adults, respectively. Among children, a bimodal peak in incidence was evident in the less than 1-year age group and in the 5 age group. Most children (64%) and adults (63%) were severely immunocompromised (CD4 T-lymphocyte cell count < 50 cells/μl) at the time of diagnosis. On multivariable analysis, children were significantly more likely than adults to be male, diagnosed on blood culture, infected with Cryptococcus gattii, treated with amphotericin B and admitted for a longer stay in hospital. CONCLUSION This series of 361 cases of paediatric cryptococcosis is by far the largest described to date. The diagnosis of cryptococcosis should be considered in the paediatric HIV-infected population, especially among those who are severely immunocompromised.
Collapse
|
22
|
Debourgogne A, Hagen F, Elenga N, Long L, Blanchet D, Veron V, Lortholary O, Carme B, Aznar C. Successful treatment of Cryptococcus gattii neurocryptococcosis in a 5-year-old immunocompetent child from the French Guiana Amazon region. Rev Iberoam Micol 2012; 29:210-3. [PMID: 22366716 DOI: 10.1016/j.riam.2012.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2011] [Revised: 11/22/2011] [Accepted: 01/31/2012] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Anne Debourgogne
- Laboratoire Hospitalier et Universitaire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, CH Andrée Rosemon et et EA 3593, Faculté de Médecine, Université des Antilles et de la Guyane, Cayenne, Guiana
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
23
|
New Insights in the Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Cryptococcal Meningitis. Curr HIV/AIDS Rep 2012; 9:267-77. [DOI: 10.1007/s11904-012-0127-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
|
24
|
McQuiston TJ, Williamson PR. Paradoxical roles of alveolar macrophages in the host response to Cryptococcus neoformans. J Infect Chemother 2011; 18:1-9. [PMID: 22045161 DOI: 10.1007/s10156-011-0306-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2011] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Cryptococcus neoformans (Cn) is a fungal pathogen that is a serious health threat to immunocompromised individuals. Upon environmental exposure, infectious fungal propagules are inhaled into the host's lungs. The anticryptococcal actions of alveolar macrophages (AM), the predominant host phagocyte of the innate immune system in the lungs, are fundamental in determining whether containment and clearance of the pathogen occurs by the development of an adapted immune response or whether infection is established and progresses to disease. However, the fungus is also capable of surviving the antimicrobial actions of AM and exploits these host phagocytes to establish infection and exacerbate disease. In addition, there is evidence suggesting that cryptococcosis may occur following reactivation of latent cryptococcal infection. Currently, the role of AM and the fungal factors contributing to latent cryptococcosis are unknown. This review examines the AM-Cn interaction and how it affects the development of pulmonary disease with a focus on host and pathogen factors enabling latency to occur.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Travis J McQuiston
- Laboratory of Clinical Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
25
|
Goldman DL, Li X, Tsirilakis K, Andrade C, Casadevall A, Vicencio AG. Increased chitinase expression and fungal-specific antibodies in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of asthmatic children. Clin Exp Allergy 2011; 42:523-30. [PMID: 22092749 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2222.2011.03886.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2011] [Revised: 08/30/2011] [Accepted: 09/01/2011] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Increasing evidence highlights the contribution of chitinases and fungal infection to the development of asthma. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to characterize chitinase expression and serological markers of fungal infection in children with severe asthma. METHODS Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was collected from children undergoing clinically indicated flexible bronchoscopy. A diagnosis of asthma was confirmed by pulmonary function testing. BALF was tested for chitinase activity and YKL-40 (an enzymatically inactive chitinase) concentrations. Specimens were cultured for fungal organisms and tested for cryptococcal antigen by ELISA. IgG and IgA reactivity to whole extract fungal (Aspergillus fumigatus, Alternaria alternata, Cryptococcus neoformans and Candida albicans) proteins were determined by immunoblot assay. RESULTS Among the 37 patients studied, 30 were asthmatic and 7 were non-asthmatic. Asthmatics exhibited elevated serum IgE levels (median: 748 IU/mL, IQR: 219-1765 IU/mL). Chitinase activity was greater in the BALF of asthmatics (mean, 0.85 ± 1.2 U/mL) compared with non-asthmatics (mean: 0.23 ± 0.21 U/mL, P = 0.012). Likewise YKL-40 concentrations were higher in the BALF of asthmatics and correlated with chitinase activity. There was a trend towards increased fungal-specific IgG in the BALF of asthmatics compared with non-asthmatics and for C. albicans this difference reached statistical significance. IgA reactivity to C. neoformans and A. fumigatus was greater in the BALF of asthmatics compared with non-asthmatics. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Compared with non-asthmatics, asthmatic children exhibited increased chitinase activity and increased YKL-40 levels in BALF. Increased IgG and IgA reactivity to fungal proteins in the BALF of asthmatics may reflect a local response to fungal infection. Our findings are consistent with and suggest a role for chitinases in asthma pathogenesis among Bronx children and provide serological evidence of an association between fungal infection and severe asthma.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- D L Goldman
- Department of Pediatrics, Childrens' Hospital at Montefiore and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Ave., Bronx, NY 10461, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
26
|
Analyses of pediatric isolates of Cryptococcus neoformans from South Africa. J Clin Microbiol 2010; 49:307-14. [PMID: 20980574 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.01277-10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Compared to the incidence in adults, cryptococcosis is inexplicably rare among children, even in sub-Saharan Africa, which has the highest prevalence of coinfection with HIV and Cryptococcus neoformans. To explore any mycological basis for this age-related difference in the incidence of cryptococcosis, we investigated isolates of C. neoformans recovered from pediatric and adult patients during a 2-year period in South Africa. From reports to the Group for Enteric, Respiratory, and Meningeal Disease Surveillance in South Africa (GERMS-SA), we reviewed all cases of cryptococcosis in 2005 and 2006. We analyzed one isolate of C. neoformans from each of 82 pediatric patients (<15 years of age) and determined the multilocus sequence type (ST), mating type, ploidy, and allelic profile. This sample included isolates of all three molecular types of serotype A or C. neoformans var. grubii (molecular types VNI, VNII, and VNB) and one AD hybrid. Seventy-seven (94%) of the strains possessed the MATα mating type allele, and five were MATa. Seventy-five (91%) were haploid, and seven were diploid. A total of 24 different STs were identified. The ratios of each mating type and the proportion of haploids were comparable to those for the isolates that were obtained from 86 adult patients during the same period. Notably, the most prevalent pediatric ST was significantly associated with male patients. Overall, these pediatric isolates exhibited high genotypic diversity. They included a relatively large percentage of diploids and the rarely reported MATa mating type.
Collapse
|
27
|
|
28
|
Vicencio AG, Muzumdar H, Tsirilakis K, Kessel A, Nandalike K, Goldman DL. Severe asthma with fungal sensitization in a child: response to itraconazole therapy. Pediatrics 2010; 125:e1255-8. [PMID: 20385639 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2009-2443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
People with severe asthma with fungal sensitization may represent an underdiagnosed subset of patients with refractory disease. It is important to know that such patients may benefit from adjunct treatment with antifungal agents. We describe here the case of a child with refractory asthma, persistent airway obstruction, a serum immunoglobulin E level of >20000 IU/mL, and severe eosinophilic airway infiltration. Although he did not meet diagnostic criteria for allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, he demonstrated evidence of sensitization to several fungi and responded dramatically to the addition of itraconazole therapy. We also discuss emerging hypotheses regarding fungal-induced asthma.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alfin G Vicencio
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital at Montefiore and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
29
|
Goldman DL, Huffnagle GB. Potential contribution of fungal infection and colonization to the development of allergy. Med Mycol 2010; 47:445-56. [PMID: 19384753 DOI: 10.1080/13693780802641904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungi have long been recognized as an important source of allergens in patients with atopic disease. In this review, we explore the hypothesis that fungal exposures resulting in colonization or infection directly influence the tendency of an individual to develop allergic disease. According to this hypothesis, fungal exposures especially those early in life may influence the manner in which the immune response handles subsequent responses to antigen exposures. Studies detailing this potential connection between fungi have already provided important insights into the immunology of fungal-human interactions and offer the potential to provide new approaches and targets for the therapy of allergic disease. The first half of this review summarizes the data concerning fungal infections and asthma, including possible connections between fungal infections and urban asthma. The second half explores the potential role of the fungal gastrointestinal microbiota in promoting allergic inflammation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David L Goldman
- Department of Pediatrics, Childrens' Hospital at Montefiore, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, NY 10461, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
30
|
Chai HC, Tay ST. Detection of IgM and IgG antibodies to Cryptococcus neoformans proteins in blood donors and HIV patients with active cryptococcosis. Mycoses 2008; 52:166-70. [PMID: 18643920 DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0507.2008.01549.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The serological responses to Cryptococcus neoformans proteins of blood donors and HIV patients with active cryptococcosis from a tropical region were investigated in this study. Exposure to C. neoformans, an organism ubiquitous in the environment, contributes to the antibody responses observed in the blood donors. IgG responses to cryptococcal proteins were stronger than IgM responses in most sera tested in this study. A 53-kDa cryptococcal protein fragment was identified as the most immunoreactive protein on the IgM immunoblots of both blood donors and patients. Overall, there was no obvious difference in IgG responses of patients when compared with blood donors. Some immunogenic protein fragments (27.5, 76, 78 and 91.5 kDa) were detected at least two times more frequently on IgM immunoblots of patients compared with those of blood donors. It is yet to be investigated whether the proteins identified in this study may have any potential to be used as biomarker for cryptococcosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- H C Chai
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | | |
Collapse
|
31
|
Vicencio AG, Narain S, Du Z, Zeng WY, Ritch J, Casadevall A, Goldman DL. Pulmonary cryptococcosis induces chitinase in the rat. Respir Res 2008; 9:40. [PMID: 18482441 PMCID: PMC2405779 DOI: 10.1186/1465-9921-9-40] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2008] [Accepted: 05/15/2008] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background We previously demonstrated that chronic pulmonary infection with Cryptococcus neoformans results in enhanced allergic inflammation and airway hyperreactivity in a rat model. Because the cell wall of C. neoformans consists of chitin, and since acidic mammalian chitinase (AMCase) has recently been implicated as a novel mediator of asthma, we sought to determine whether such infection induces chitinase activity and expression of AMCase in the rat. Methods We utilized a previously-established model of chronic C. neoformans pulmonary infection in the rat to analyze the activity, expression and localization of AMCase. Results Our studies indicate that intratracheal inoculation of C. neoformans induces chitinase activity within the lung and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of infected rats. Chitinase activity is also elicited by pulmonary infection with other fungi (e.g. C. albicans), but not by the inoculation of dead organisms. Enhanced chitinase activity reflects increased AMCase expression by airway epithelial cells and alveolar macrophages. Systemic cryptococcosis is not associated with increased pulmonary chitinase activity or AMCase expression. Conclusion Our findings indicate a possible link between respiratory fungal infections, including C. neoformans, and asthma through the induction of AMCase.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alfin G Vicencio
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Children's Hospital at Montefiore, Bronx, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
32
|
Saha DC, Goldman DL, Shao X, Casadevall A, Husain S, Limaye AP, Lyon M, Somani J, Pursell K, Pruett TL, Singh N. Serologic evidence for reactivation of cryptococcosis in solid-organ transplant recipients. CLINICAL AND VACCINE IMMUNOLOGY : CVI 2007; 14:1550-4. [PMID: 17959819 PMCID: PMC2168388 DOI: 10.1128/cvi.00242-07] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2007] [Revised: 09/19/2007] [Accepted: 10/15/2007] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Cryptococcosis is a significant infection with a high mortality in solid-organ transplant recipients. Nonetheless, the pathogenesis of this disease is poorly understood. It has been hypothesized that cryptococcosis may result from either primary infection or reactivation of a latent infection. Sera were obtained from transplant recipients prior to transplantation and at the time they developed cryptococcosis. Control sera were obtained before and after transplant from patients who did not develop cryptococcosis. Sera were tested for antibodies against Cryptococcus neoformans by using an immunoblot assay. Antibody responses were also compared with those observed in sera from rats with experimental pulmonary cryptococcosis. In all, 52% of the transplant recipients who developed cryptococcosis exhibited serologic evidence of cryptococcal infection before transplantation. These patients developed cryptococcosis significantly earlier after transplant than patients without preexisting reactivity did (5.6 +/- 3.4 months compared to 40.6 +/- 63.8 months, respectively [P = 0.0011]). The results from our study suggest that a substantial proportion of transplant-associated cryptococcosis cases result from the reactivation of a latent infection. These findings also highlight the potential utility of serologic studies in identifying patients at risk for the development of cryptococcosis after transplantation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- D C Saha
- Infectious Diseases Section, VA Medical Center, University Drive C, Pittsburgh, PA 15240, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|