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Schnetzke U, Fischer M, Röllig C, Scherag A, Altmann H, Stölzel F, Alakel N, Bornhäuser M, Hochhaus A, Scholl S. Validating genetic variants in innate immunity linked to infectious events in acute myeloid leukemia post-induction chemotherapy. Genes Immun 2024; 25:317-323. [PMID: 38982248 PMCID: PMC11327101 DOI: 10.1038/s41435-024-00285-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2024] [Revised: 06/28/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024]
Abstract
Infectious events, such as sepsis and invasive fungal disease (IFD), pose significant risks in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Previous studies, including our own, have suggested a potential role of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the innate immune system in influencing individual infection susceptibility. However, many of these associations lack validation in independent cohorts. This study sought to validate the impact of 11 candidate SNPs across 6 genes (TLR2, TLR4, Dectin-1, DC-SIGN, PTX3, L-Ficolin) in an independent cohort of patients. Two cohorts with newly diagnosed AML patients receiving intensive induction chemotherapy were analyzed: a stratification cohort comprising 186 patients and a validation cohort consisting of 138 patients. Multiple SNPs in each cohort were found to be associated to infectious complications, notably the DC-SIGN SNP rs4804800 demonstrated a significant association with sepsis in both cohorts. SNPs within the PTX3 and Dectin-1 genes were linked to IFD development in one cohort each. This study represents the first validation study of candidate genes associated with infectious events in AML patients after intensive induction chemotherapy. Identifying genetic predispositions to infections could significantly impact the management of antimicrobial prophylaxis and treatment in AML patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulf Schnetzke
- Klinik für Innere Medizin II, Abteilung für Hämatologie und Internistische Onkologie, Comprehensive Cancer Center Central Germany - Campus Jena, Universitätsklinikum Jena, Jena, Germany.
| | - Mike Fischer
- Institut für Humangenetik, Universitätsklinikum Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Christoph Röllig
- Medizinische Klinik I, Universitätsklinikum der Technischen Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - André Scherag
- Institut für Medizinische Statistik, Informatik und Datenwissenschaften, Universitätsklinikum Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Heidi Altmann
- Medizinische Klinik I, Universitätsklinikum der Technischen Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Friedrich Stölzel
- Medizinische Klinik I, Universitätsklinikum der Technischen Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Sektion für Stammzelltransplantation und zelluläre Immuntherapie, Klinik für Innere Medizin II, Abteilung für Hämatologie und Onkologie, Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, Christian-Albrechts-Universität Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Nael Alakel
- Medizinische Klinik I, Universitätsklinikum der Technischen Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Martin Bornhäuser
- Medizinische Klinik I, Universitätsklinikum der Technischen Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Andreas Hochhaus
- Klinik für Innere Medizin II, Abteilung für Hämatologie und Internistische Onkologie, Comprehensive Cancer Center Central Germany - Campus Jena, Universitätsklinikum Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Sebastian Scholl
- Klinik für Innere Medizin II, Abteilung für Hämatologie und Internistische Onkologie, Comprehensive Cancer Center Central Germany - Campus Jena, Universitätsklinikum Jena, Jena, Germany
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Earle K, Valero C, Conn DP, Vere G, Cook PC, Bromley MJ, Bowyer P, Gago S. Pathogenicity and virulence of Aspergillus fumigatus. Virulence 2023; 14:2172264. [PMID: 36752587 PMCID: PMC10732619 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2023.2172264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Pulmonary infections caused by the mould pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus are a major cause of morbidity and mortality globally. Compromised lung defences arising from immunosuppression, chronic respiratory conditions or more recently, concomitant viral or bacterial pulmonary infections are recognised risks factors for the development of pulmonary aspergillosis. In this review, we will summarise our current knowledge of the mechanistic basis of pulmonary aspergillosis with a focus on emerging at-risk populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kayleigh Earle
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Clara Valero
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Daniel P. Conn
- MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - George Vere
- MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Peter C. Cook
- MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Michael J. Bromley
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Paul Bowyer
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Sara Gago
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
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Yazdi M, Behnaminia N, Nafari A, Sepahvand A. Genetic Susceptibility to Fungal Infections. Adv Biomed Res 2023; 12:248. [PMID: 38192892 PMCID: PMC10772798 DOI: 10.4103/abr.abr_259_22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Reports of fungal infections have increased over the past decades, making them a major threat to human health. In this study, we review the effects of genetic defects on susceptibility to fungal diseases. To identify all relevant literature, we searched Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus and profiled studies published between 2008 and 2021. The results of several studies conducted on this subject have shown the significant effects of genetic variations such as hyper-IgE syndrome, Autoimmune polyendocrinopathy candidiasis ectodermal dystrophy syndrome, dectin-1 deficiency, CARD9 mutations, STAT1 mutations, and IL17 mutationson the host immune system's response, which has an important impact on susceptibility to fungal infections. The underlying immune system-related genetic profile affects the susceptibility of individuals to different fungal infections; therefore, this subject should be further studied for better treatment of fungal diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Yazdi
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran
| | - Nima Behnaminia
- Student Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Amirhossein Nafari
- Student Research Committee, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran
| | - Asghar Sepahvand
- Razi Herbal Medicines Research Center, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran
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Steffan BN, Calise D, Park SC, Niu M, Yang J, Hammock BD, Jones M, Steele C, Keller NP. Loss of the mammalian G-protein coupled receptor, G2A, modulates severity of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1173544. [PMID: 37435068 PMCID: PMC10331294 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1173544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Aspergillus fumigatus is a well-known opportunistic pathogen that causes a range of diseases including the often-fatal disease, invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA), in immunocompromised populations. The severity of IPA is dependent on both host- and pathogen-derived signaling molecules that mediate host immunity and fungal growth. Oxylipins are bioactive oxygenated fatty acids known to influence host immune response and Aspergillus developmental programs. Aspergillus synthesizes 8-HODE and 5,8-diHODE that have structural similarities to 9-HODE and 13-HODE, which are known ligands of the host G-protein-coupled receptor G2A (GPR132). Materials and methods Oxylipins were extracted from infected lung tissue to assess fungal oxylipin production and the Pathhunter β-arrestin assay was used to assess agonist and antagonist activity by fungal oxylipins on G2A. An immunocompetent model of A. fumigatus infection was used to assess changes in survival and immune responses for G2A-/- mice. Results Here we report that Aspergillus oxylipins are produced in lung tissue of infected mice and in vitro ligand assays suggest 8-HODE is a G2A agonist and 5,8-diHODE is a partial antagonist. To address the hypothesis that G2A could be involved in the progression of IPA, we assessed the response of G2A-/- mice to A. fumigatus infection. G2A-/- mice showed a survival advantage over wild-type mice; this was accompanied by increased recruitment of G2A-/- neutrophils and increased levels of inflammatory markers in A. fumigatus-infected lungs. Conclusions We conclude that G2A suppresses host inflammatory responses to Aspergillus fumigatus although it remains unclear if fungal oxylipins are involved in G2A activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Breanne N. Steffan
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Dante Calise
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Sung Chul Park
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Mengyao Niu
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Jun Yang
- Department of Entomology, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Bruce D. Hammock
- Department of Entomology, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - MaryJane Jones
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Chad Steele
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Nancy P. Keller
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
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Hatmaker EA, Rangel-Grimaldo M, Raja HA, Pourhadi H, Knowles SL, Fuller K, Adams EM, Lightfoot JD, Bastos RW, Goldman GH, Oberlies NH, Rokas A. Genomic and Phenotypic Trait Variation of the Opportunistic Human Pathogen Aspergillus flavus and Its Close Relatives. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0306922. [PMID: 36318036 PMCID: PMC9769809 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03069-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungal diseases affect millions of humans annually, yet fungal pathogens remain understudied. The mold Aspergillus flavus can cause both aspergillosis and fungal keratitis infections, but closely related species are not considered clinically relevant. To study the evolution of A. flavus pathogenicity, we examined genomic and phenotypic traits of two strains of A. flavus and three closely related species, Aspergillus arachidicola (two strains), Aspergillus parasiticus (two strains), and Aspergillus nomiae (one strain). We identified >3,000 orthologous proteins unique to A. flavus, including seven biosynthetic gene clusters present in A. flavus strains and absent in the three nonpathogens. We characterized secondary metabolite production for all seven strains under two clinically relevant conditions, temperature and salt concentration. Temperature impacted metabolite production in all species, whereas salinity did not affect production of any species. Strains of the same species produced different metabolites. Growth under stress conditions revealed additional heterogeneity within species. Using the invertebrate fungal disease model Galleria mellonella, we found virulence of strains of the same species varied widely; A. flavus strains were not more virulent than strains of the nonpathogens. In a murine model of fungal keratitis, we observed significantly lower disease severity and corneal thickness for A. arachidicola compared to other species at 48 h postinfection, but not at 72 h. Our work identifies variations in key phenotypic, chemical, and genomic attributes between A. flavus and its nonpathogenic relatives and reveals extensive strain heterogeneity in virulence that does not correspond to the currently established clinical relevance of these species. IMPORTANCE Aspergillus flavus is a filamentous fungus that causes opportunistic human infections, such as aspergillosis and fungal keratitis, but its close relatives are considered nonpathogenic. To begin understanding how this difference in pathogenicity evolved, we characterized variation in infection-relevant genomic, chemical, and phenotypic traits between strains of A. flavus and its relatives. We found extensive variation (or strain heterogeneity) within the pathogenic A. flavus as well as within its close relatives, suggesting that strain-level differences may play a major role in the ability of these fungi to cause disease. Surprisingly, we also found that the virulence of strains from species not considered to be pathogens was similar to that of A. flavus in both invertebrate and murine models of disease. These results contrast with previous studies on Aspergillus fumigatus, another major pathogen in the genus, for which significant differences in infection-relevant chemical and phenotypic traits are observed between closely related pathogenic and nonpathogenic species.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. Anne Hatmaker
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Evolutionary Studies Initiative, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Manuel Rangel-Grimaldo
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
| | - Huzefa A. Raja
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
| | - Hadi Pourhadi
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
| | - Sonja L. Knowles
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
| | - Kevin Fuller
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Emily M. Adams
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Jorge D. Lightfoot
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Rafael W. Bastos
- Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Gustavo H. Goldman
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Nicholas H. Oberlies
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
| | - Antonis Rokas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Evolutionary Studies Initiative, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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6
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Wang X, Cunha C, Grau MS, Robertson SJ, Lacerda JF, Campos A, Lagrou K, Maertens J, Best SM, Carvalho A, Obar JJ. MAVS Expression in Alveolar Macrophages Is Essential for Host Resistance against Aspergillus fumigatus. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2022; 209:346-353. [PMID: 35750336 PMCID: PMC9307106 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2100759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Our recent data demonstrate a critical role of the RIG-I-like receptor family in regulating antifungal immunity against Aspergillus fumigatus in a murine model. However, the importance of this pathway in humans and the cell types that use this innate immune receptor family to detect A. fumigatus remain unresolved. In this study, using patients who underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, we demonstrate that a polymorphism in human MAVS present in the donor genome was associated with the incidence of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. Moreover, in a separate cohort of confirmed invasive pulmonary aspergillosis patients, polymorphisms in the IFIH1 gene alter the inflammatory response, including IFN-responsive chemokines. Returning to our murine model, we now demonstrate that CD11c+ Siglec F+ alveolar macrophages require Mavs expression to maintain host resistance against A. fumigatus. Our data support the role of MAVS signaling in mediating antifungal immunity in both mice and humans at least in part through the role of MAVS-dependent signaling in alveolar macrophages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Wang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH
| | - Cristina Cunha
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute, School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Madeleine S Grau
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH
| | - Shelly J Robertson
- Laboratory of Virology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT
| | - João F Lacerda
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina de Lisboa, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- Serviço de Hematologia e Transplantação de Medula, Hospital de Santa Maria, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - António Campos
- Serviço de Transplantação de Medula Óssea, Instituto Português de Oncologia do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Katrien Lagrou
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Clinical Department of Laboratory Medicine and National Reference Center for Medical Mycology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; and
| | - Johan Maertens
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Hematology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sonja M Best
- Laboratory of Virology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT
| | - Agostinho Carvalho
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute, School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Joshua J Obar
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH;
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Prevalence of COVID-19-Associated Pulmonary Aspergillosis: Critical Review and Conclusions. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8040390. [PMID: 35448621 PMCID: PMC9027069 DOI: 10.3390/jof8040390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
First reports of cases and case series of COVID-19-associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA) emerged during the first months of the pandemic. Prevalence rates varied widely due to the fact that CAPA was, and still remains, challenging to diagnose in patients with COVID-19-associated acute respiratory failure (ARF). The clinical picture and radiological findings of CAPA are unspecific and can resemble those of severe COVID-19. Hence, mycological evidence became a key component in establishing a diagnosis. However, blood tests lack sensitivity in early treatable phases of CAPA and once positive, mortality has been shown to exceed 80% despite systemic antifungal therapy. The primarily airway invasive growth in non-neutropenic patients and the late occurrence of angioinvasion in the course of disease may mainly account for these diagnostic obstacles. Testing of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is therefore crucial in the diagnostic process, but was rarely performed during the early phase of the pandemic, which potentially interfered with the accuracy of reported prevalence. Current guidelines recommend treatment of CAPA during its early airway invasive phase, which may result in some overtreatment (i.e., treatment in patients that may not develop angioinvasive infection) and adverse drug events, yet there is no viable alternative approach. Timely treatment of cases needs to be ensured for patients with mycological evidence of CAPA in the lower respiratory tract given the independent contribution of CAPA to devastating mortality rates of around 50% that have been shown in multiple studies. Here, we review the evolution of reported CAPA prevalence and the role of CAPA as an important opportunistic infection affecting COVID-19 patients in intensive care units (ICUs).
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Gonçalves SM, Cunha C, Carvalho A. Understanding the genetic basis of immune responses to fungal infection. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 2022; 20:987-996. [PMID: 35385368 DOI: 10.1080/14787210.2022.2063839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Fungal infections represent a global public health problem that affect millions of people. Despite remarkable advances achieved over the last decades, available diagnostic and therapeutic tools remain insufficient for the optimal management of these diseases. The clinical course of fungal infection is highly variable, and evidence accumulated from patients with rare mutations and cohort-based studies suggests that the trajectory of disease is largely defined by patient genetics and its impact on immune responses. Therefore, there is an urgent need to elucidate the precise mechanisms by which which genetic variants influence the risk, progression, and outcome of fungal infection. AREAS COVERED In this review, we highlight recent advances in our understanding of the genetic factors that influence antifungal immune responses based on candidate gene studies and genome-wide approaches performed in different experimental and clinical models. EXPERT OPINION Research on genetics of susceptibility to infection is expected to lead to a detailed knowledge framework for the pathogenesis of human fungal infections and unveil novel targets and pathways amenable to clinical intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel M Gonçalves
- 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
| | - Cristina Cunha
- 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
| | - 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
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Salazar F, Bignell E, Brown GD, Cook PC, Warris A. Pathogenesis of Respiratory Viral and Fungal Coinfections. Clin Microbiol Rev 2022; 35:e0009421. [PMID: 34788127 PMCID: PMC8597983 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00094-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Individuals suffering from severe viral respiratory tract infections have recently emerged as "at risk" groups for developing invasive fungal infections. Influenza virus is one of the most common causes of acute lower respiratory tract infections worldwide. Fungal infections complicating influenza pneumonia are associated with increased disease severity and mortality, with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis being the most common manifestation. Strikingly, similar observations have been made during the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The copathogenesis of respiratory viral and fungal coinfections is complex and involves a dynamic interplay between the host immune defenses and the virulence of the microbes involved that often results in failure to return to homeostasis. In this review, we discuss the main mechanisms underlying susceptibility to invasive fungal disease following respiratory viral infections. A comprehensive understanding of these interactions will aid the development of therapeutic modalities against newly identified targets to prevent and treat these emerging coinfections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabián Salazar
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Elaine Bignell
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Gordon D. Brown
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Peter C. Cook
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Adilia Warris
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
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10
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Cytokine and Chemokine Responses in Invasive Aspergillosis Following Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: Past Evidence for Future Therapy of Aspergillosis. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7090753. [PMID: 34575791 PMCID: PMC8468228 DOI: 10.3390/jof7090753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis is a frequent complication in immunocompromised individuals, and it continues to be an important cause of mortality in patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. In addition to antifungal therapy used for mycoses, immune-modulatory molecules such as cytokines and chemokines can modify the host immune response and exhibit a promising form of antimicrobial therapeutics to combat invasive fungal diseases. Cytokine and chemokine profiles may also be applied as biomarkers during fungal infections and clinical research has demonstrated different activation patterns of cytokines in invasive mycoses such as aspergillosis. In this review, we summarize different aspects of cytokines that have been described to date and provide possible future directions in research on invasive pulmonary aspergillosis following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. These findings suggest that cytokines and chemokines may serve as useful biomarkers to improve diagnosis and monitoring of infection.
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11
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Genetic Variation in PFKFB3 Impairs Antifungal Immunometabolic Responses and Predisposes to Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis. mBio 2021; 12:e0036921. [PMID: 34044589 PMCID: PMC8263003 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00369-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Activation of immune cells in response to fungal infection involves the reprogramming of their cellular metabolism to support antimicrobial effector functions. Although metabolic pathways such as glycolysis are known to represent critical regulatory nodes in antifungal immunity, it remains undetermined whether these are differentially regulated at the interindividual level. In this study, we identify a key role for 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase 3 (PFKFB3) in the immunometabolic responses to Aspergillus fumigatus. A genetic association study performed in 439 recipients of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and corresponding donors revealed that the donor, but not recipient, rs646564 variant in the PFKFB3 gene increased the risk of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) after transplantation. The risk genotype impaired the expression of PFKFB3 by human macrophages in response to fungal infection, which was correlated with a defective activation of glycolysis and the ensuing antifungal effector functions. In patients with IPA, the risk genotype was associated with lower concentrations of cytokines in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples. Collectively, these findings demonstrate the important contribution of genetic variation in PFKFB3 to the risk of IPA in patients undergoing HSCT and support its inclusion in prognostic tools to predict the risk of fungal infection in this clinical setting. IMPORTANCE The fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus can cause severe and life-threatening forms of infection in immunocompromised patients. Activation of glycolysis is essential for innate immune cells to mount effective antifungal responses. In this study, we report the contribution of genetic variation in the key glycolytic activator 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase 3 (PFKFB3) to the risk of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The PFKFB3 genotype associated with increased risk of infection was correlated with an impairment of the antifungal effector functions of macrophages in vitro and in patients with IPA. This work highlights the clinical relevance of genetic variation in PFKFB3 to the risk of IPA and supports its integration in risk stratification and preemptive measures for patients at high risk of IPA.
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Polymorphisms within the TNFSF4 and MAPKAPK2 Loci Influence the Risk of Developing Invasive Aspergillosis: A Two-Stage Case Control Study in the Context of the aspBIOmics Consortium. J Fungi (Basel) 2020; 7:jof7010004. [PMID: 33374839 PMCID: PMC7823601 DOI: 10.3390/jof7010004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2020] [Revised: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Here, we assessed whether 36 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the TNFSF4 and MAPKAPK2 loci influence the risk of developing invasive aspergillosis (IA). We conducted a two-stage case control study including 911 high-risk patients diagnosed with hematological malignancies that were ascertained through the aspBIOmics consortium. The meta-analysis of the discovery and replication populations revealed that carriers of the TNFSF4
rs7526628T/T genotype had a significantly increased risk of developing IA (p = 0.00022). We also found that carriers of the TNFSF4
rs7526628T allele showed decreased serum levels of TNFSF14 protein (p = 0.0027), and that their macrophages had a decreased fungicidal activity (p = 0.048). In addition, we observed that each copy of the MAPKAPK2
rs12137965G allele increased the risk of IA by 60% (p = 0.0017), whereas each copy of the MAPKAPK2
rs17013271T allele was estimated to decrease the risk of developing the disease (p = 0.0029). Mechanistically, we found that carriers of the risk MAPKAPK2
rs12137965G allele showed increased numbers of CD38+IgM-IgD- plasmablasts in blood (p = 0.00086), whereas those harboring two copies of the allele had decreased serum concentrations of thymic stromal lymphopoietin (p = 0.00097). Finally, we also found that carriers of the protective MAPKAPK2
rs17013271T allele had decreased numbers of CD27-IgM-IgD- B cells (p = 0.00087) and significantly lower numbers of CD14+ and CD14+CD16- cells (p = 0.00018 and 0.00023). Altogether, these results suggest a role of the TNFSF4 and MAPKAPK2 genes in determining IA risk.
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Revised Transcriptome-Based Gene Annotation for Aspergillus flavus Strain NRRL 3357. Microbiol Resour Announc 2020; 9:9/49/e01155-20. [PMID: 33273000 PMCID: PMC7714855 DOI: 10.1128/mra.01155-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus flavus is an agriculturally and medically important filamentous fungus that produces mycotoxins, including aflatoxins, which are potent carcinogens. Here, we generated short- and long-read transcript sequence data from the growth of A. flavus strain NRRL 3357 under both typical and stress conditions to produce a new annotation of its genome. Aspergillus flavus is an agriculturally and medically important filamentous fungus that produces mycotoxins, including aflatoxins, which are potent carcinogens. Here, we generated short- and long-read transcript sequence data from the growth of A. flavus strain NRRL 3357 under both typical and stress conditions to produce a new annotation of its genome.
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Association between dectin-1 gene single nucleotide polymorphisms and fungal infection: a systemic review and meta-analysis. Biosci Rep 2020; 39:220866. [PMID: 31696220 PMCID: PMC6851518 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20191519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2019] [Revised: 10/07/2019] [Accepted: 10/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives: To investigate the association between dectin-1 gene single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and susceptibility to fungal infection (FI). Methods: Databases were searched electronically and manually to identify case–control studies concerning dectin-1 SNPs and FI, which were published up to 12 November 2018. The Newcastle–Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale was used to determine the study quality and bias. The SNP frequencies of the B (the variant or minor allele) and A (the wild or major allele) alleles of the dectin-1 gene in both cases and controls were analyzed with regard to FI susceptibility. Results: Eight high-quality studies were included in the review. Systemic review of the included studies demonstrated that dectin-1 SNPs rs3901533 and rs7309123 might be associated with susceptibility to invasive pulmonary aspergillosis infection; moreover, rs16910527 SNP can possibly increase the susceptibility to oropharyngeal candidiasis in HIV-positive patients. The meta-analysis identified significant associations between dectin-1 SNPs and overall FI risk in the homozygote model (pooled odds ratio (OR) 1.77, P=0.04). When classified by subtypes, significant associations were also found for deep FI in the homozygote model (pooled OR 2.46, P=0.01) and the recessive model (pooled OR 2.85, P=0.002). There appeared to be no significant association between dectin-1 SNPs and superficial FI. Conclusion: Systemic review of the included studies suggested that dectin-1 SNPs rs3901533, rs7309123, and rs16910527 might play a role in FI susceptibility. The meta-analysis provided convincing evidence that dectin-1 SNPs might have an important role in FI susceptibility, especially for deep FI.
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Tanpaibule T, Jinawath N, Taweewongsounton A, Niparuck P, Rotjanapan P. Genetic Risk Surveillance for Invasive Aspergillosis in Hematology Patients: A Prospective Observational Study. Infect Dis Ther 2020; 9:807-821. [PMID: 32860206 PMCID: PMC7680473 DOI: 10.1007/s40121-020-00331-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The association between genetic background and the risk of invasive aspergillosis (IA) has not been addressed in Thailand. We conducted genetic risk surveillance for IA among Thai hematologic patients. METHODS We conducted a prospective observational cohort study including moderate- to high-risk hematology patients at Ramathibodi Hospital. IA occurrence, relevant clinical data, and genetic analyses were assessed. Odds ratios (ORs) of IA were assessed for the presence of the selected single nucleotide polymorphism genotype using logistic regression. RESULTS A total of 357 patients were enrolled. The most common hematologic disease was non-Hodgkin lymphoma (45.1%). IA was diagnosed in 36 patients (10.10%). The C allele of IL10rs1800896 was associated with an increased risk of IA (adjusted OR 5.297; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.032-13.809, p = 0.001). In multivariate Cox regression analysis, prolonged neutropenia and the C allele of IL10rs1800896 were associated with IA (hazard ratio [HR] 12.585; 95% CI 3.866-40.967, p < 0.001 and HR 2.449; 95% CI 1.097-5.468, p = 0.042, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Carrying the C allele of IL10rs1800896 was associated with an increased risk of IA among moderate- to high-risk Thai patients with hematologic diseases. This finding can potentially lead to a novel risk stratification scheme to further prevent IA in resource-limited settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tananun Tanpaibule
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Natini Jinawath
- Program in Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Integrative Computational BioScience Center (ICBS), Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
| | | | - Pimjai Niparuck
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Porpon Rotjanapan
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
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Barnes R, Rogers T, Maertens J. Defining standards of CARE for invasive fungal diseases in adult haematology patients: antifungal prophylaxis versus treatment. J Antimicrob Chemother 2020; 74:ii21-ii26. [PMID: 31222310 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkz040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the availability of four different classes of antifungal agents, invasive fungal infections, in particular mould diseases, continue to have a high crude mortality rate in adult haematology patients, especially when diagnosed late. Early diagnosis, resulting in prompt and adequate antifungal intervention, is of great importance when trying to improve the overall outcome of these infections, but depends on the availability of rapid and sensitive diagnostic tools. The medical community has developed and continues to evaluate a continuum of antifungal strategies (starting with prophylaxis followed by empirical therapy and more recently a diagnostic-driven or pre-emptive approach) to better tackle these life-threatening diseases. While the empirical approach seems to have lost some of its popularity, the jury is still out about the pros and cons of universal antifungal prophylaxis in at-risk adult haematology patients compared with an approach that uses radiological and mycological diagnostic methods with good to excellent negative predictive values (also erroneously called pre-emptive), trying to exclude the presence of an invasive fungal disease. Whilst awaiting the results of comparative clinical studies, believers and non-believers around the globe continue to argue about the advantages and shortcomings of both strategies. The debate presented here provides a rationale for both prophylaxis for 'high-risk' haematology patients as well as for a more targeted approach based on the appropriate use of mycological, radiological, immunological (and genetic) methods for the diagnosis of invasive fungal diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosemary Barnes
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Thomas Rogers
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Trinity College Dublin & St. James's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Johan Maertens
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Clinical Department of Haematology, UZ Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Abstract
Mycetoma is one of the badly neglected tropical diseases, characterised by subcutaneous painless swelling, multiple sinuses, and discharge containing aggregates of the infecting organism known as grains. Risk factors conferring susceptibility to mycetoma include environmental factors and pathogen factors such as virulence and the infecting dose, in addition to host factors such as immunological and genetic predisposition. Epidemiological evidence suggests that host genetic factors may regulate susceptibility to mycetoma and other fungal infections, but they are likely to be complex genetic traits in which multiple genes interact with each other and environmental factors, as well as the pathogen, to cause disease. This paper reviews what is known about genetic predisposition to fungal infections that might be relevant to mycetoma, as well as all studies carried out to explore host genetic susceptibility to mycetoma. Most studies were investigating polymorphisms in candidate genes related to the host immune response. A total of 13 genes had allelic variants found to be associated with mycetoma, and these genes lie in different pathways and systems such as innate and adaptive immune systems, sex hormone biosynthesis, and some genes coding for host enzymes. None of these studies have been replicated. Advances in genomic science and the supporting technology have paved the way for large-scale genome-wide association and next generation sequencing (NGS) studies, underpinning a new strategy to systematically interrogate the genome for variants associated with mycetoma. Dissecting the contribution of host genetic variation to susceptibility to mycetoma will enable the identification of pathways that are potential targets for new treatments for mycetoma and will also enhance the ability to stratify ‘at-risk’ individuals, allowing the possibility of developing preventive and personalised clinical care strategies in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rayan S. Ali
- The Mycetoma Research Centre, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan
- Brighton and Sussex Centre for Global Health Research, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Brighton, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Melanie J. Newport
- Brighton and Sussex Centre for Global Health Research, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - Sahar Mubarak Bakhiet
- The Mycetoma Research Centre, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan
- Institute of Endemic Diseases, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan
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Polymorphisms within the ARNT2 and CX3CR1 Genes Are Associated with the Risk of Developing Invasive Aspergillosis. Infect Immun 2020; 88:IAI.00882-19. [PMID: 31964743 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00882-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Invasive aspergillosis (IA) is a life-threatening infection that affects an increasing number of patients undergoing chemotherapy or allo-transplantation, and recent studies have shown that genetic factors contribute to disease susceptibility. In this two-stage, population-based, case-control study, we evaluated whether 7 potentially functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the ARNT2 and CX3CR1 genes influence the risk of IA in high-risk hematological patients. We genotyped selected SNPs in a cohort of 500 hematological patients (103 of those had been diagnosed with proven or probable IA), and we evaluated their association with the risk of developing IA. The association of the most interesting markers of IA risk was then validated in a replication population, including 474 subjects (94 IA and 380 non-IA patients). Functional experiments were also performed to confirm the biological relevance of the most interesting markers. The meta-analysis of both populations showed that carriers of the ARNT2 rs1374213G, CX3CR1 rs7631529A, and CX3CR1 rs9823718G alleles (where the RefSeq identifier appears as a subscript) had a significantly increased risk of developing IA according to a log-additive model (P value from the meta-analysis [P Meta] = 9.8 · 10-5, P Meta = 1.5 · 10-4, and P Meta =7.9 · 10-5, respectively). Haplotype analysis also confirmed the association of the CX3CR1 haplotype with AG CGG with an increased risk of IA (P = 4.0 · 10-4). Mechanistically, we observed that monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) from subjects carrying the ARNTR2 rs1374213G allele or the GG genotype showed a significantly impaired fungicidal activity but that MDM from carriers of the ARNT2 rs1374213G and CX3CR1 rs9823718G or CX3CR1 rs7631529A alleles had deregulated immune responses to Aspergillus conidia. These results, together with those from expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) data browsers showing a strong correlation of the CX3CR1 rs9823718G allele with lower levels of CX3CR1 mRNA in whole peripheral blood (P = 2.46 · 10-7) and primary monocytes (P = 4.31 · 10-7), highlight the role of the ARNT2 and CX3CR1 loci in modulating and predicting IA risk and provide new insights into the host immune mechanisms involved in IA development.
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Kang Y, Yu Y, Lu L. The Role of Pentraxin 3 in Aspergillosis: Reality and Prospects. MYCOBIOLOGY 2020; 48:1-8. [PMID: 32158600 PMCID: PMC7048186 DOI: 10.1080/12298093.2020.1722576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2019] [Revised: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is a soluble pattern recognition receptor (PRR), which is produced by several kinds of cells, such as neutrophils, dendritic cells, macrophages, and epithelial cells. PTX3 is known to play an important protective effect against Aspergillus. Genetic linkage in gene-targeted mice and human PTX3 plays a non-redundant role in the immune protection against specific pathogens, especially Aspergillus. Recent studies have shown that the polymorphism of PTX3 is associated with increased susceptibility to invasive aspergillosis (IA). In this review, we provide an overview of these studies that underline the potential of PTX3 in diagnosis and therapy of IA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuening Kang
- Department of Rheumatology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuetian Yu
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Liangjing Lu
- Department of Rheumatology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
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Dectin-1 rs3901533 and rs7309123 Polymorphisms Increase Susceptibility to Pulmonary Invasive Fungal Disease in Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia from a Chinese Han Population. Curr Med Sci 2019; 39:906-912. [PMID: 31845221 DOI: 10.1007/s11596-019-2122-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2019] [Revised: 09/15/2019] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to assess whether genetic variants of dendritic cell-associated C-type lectine-1 (Dectin-1), Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2), Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), and myeloid differentiation primary response 88 (MyD88) influence the susceptibility to pulmonary invasive fungal disease (IFD) in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) from a Chinese Han population. Eight single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of Dectin-1 (rs16910526, rs3901533, and rs7309123), TLR2 (rs5743708), TLR4 (rs4986790 and rs4986791) and MyD88 (rs4988453 and rs4988457) in the genomic DNA of 172 adult AML patients were genotyped. Pulmonary IFD was diagnosed as proven or probable according to the 2008 European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer/Invasive Fungal Infections Cooperative Group and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Mycoses Study Group (EORTC/MSG) consensus guidelines. SNPs that were significant in the univariate analysis were further analyzed using the multiple logistic regression analysis to determine their association with the occurrence of pulmonary IFD. The mRNA expression of Dectin-1 was detected according to the genotype by quantitative realtime PCR (qRT-PCR), and the correlation of this expression with the occurrence of pulmonary IFD in AML patients was analyzed. Two Dectin-1 intron SNPs (rs3901533 and rs7309123) were found to be significantly associated with the susceptibility to pulmonary IFD in AML patients in a Chinese Han population. Significant associations were noted between pulmonary IFD and Dectin-1 rs3901533 dominant model (G/T+G/G vs. T/T, OR: 2.158; 95% CI: 1.109-4.2, P=0.02), Dectin-1 rs3901533 G allele (OR: 2.201; 95% CI: 1.206-4.019, P=0.01), or Dectin-1 rs7309123 C allele (OR: 1.919; 95% CI: 1.047-3.518, P=0.03). There were no significant associations between pulmonary IFD and the remaining Dectin-1 SNPs (rs16910526), TLR2 (rs5743708), TLR4 (rs4986790 and rs4986791) or MyD88 (rs4988453 and rs4988457). In conclusion, two Dectin-1 SNPs (rs3901533 and rs7309123) are associated with increased susceptibility to pulmonary IFD in AML patients in a Chinese Han population.
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21
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Immune Parameters for Diagnosis and Treatment Monitoring in Invasive Mold Infection. J Fungi (Basel) 2019; 5:jof5040116. [PMID: 31888227 PMCID: PMC6958498 DOI: 10.3390/jof5040116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Revised: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Infections caused by invasive molds, including Aspergillus spp., can be difficult to diagnose and remain associated with high morbidity and mortality. Thus, early diagnosis and targeted systemic antifungal treatment remains the most important predictive factor for a successful outcome in immunocompromised individuals with invasive mold infections. Diagnosis remains difficult due to low sensitivities of diagnostic tests including culture and other mycological tests for mold pathogens, particularly in patients on mold-active antifungal prophylaxis. As a result, antifungal treatment is rarely targeted and reliable markers for treatment monitoring and outcome prediction are missing. Thus, there is a need for improved markers to diagnose invasive mold infections, monitor response to treatment, and assist in determining when antifungal therapy should be escalated, switched, or can be stopped. This review focuses on the role of immunologic markers and specifically cytokines in diagnosis and treatment monitoring of invasive mold infections.
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Maffei R, Maccaferri M, Arletti L, Fiorcari S, Benatti S, Potenza L, Luppi M, Marasca R. Immunomodulatory effect of ibrutinib: Reducing the barrier against fungal infections. Blood Rev 2019; 40:100635. [PMID: 31699465 DOI: 10.1016/j.blre.2019.100635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2019] [Revised: 05/29/2019] [Accepted: 10/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor ibrutinib is increasingly used in the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Moreover, very promising results have been reported in other B-cell malignancies, including primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL). Although well-tolerated in the majority of patients, ibrutinib demonstrates in some cases troublesome toxicities, including invasive fungal infections (IFIs). In the present review, we summarize clinical manifestations of IFIs in patients treated with ibrutinib, generally characterized by an early onset, mild clinical manifestations, asymptomatic/low symptomatic pulmonary localization and high incidence of central nervous system (CNS) involvement. IFI risk appears particularly increased in patients receiving ibrutinib associated with other immune modulator agents, especially with steroids or immune-chemotherapy. Moreover, the immunomodulatory effect of ibrutinib is described, pointing the attention on the involvement of specific molecules targeted by ibrutinib in innate and adaptive response to fungal infection. Overall, the findings indicate the ibrutinib may rapidly impair innate immune cell functions, while concomitantly restoring an effective protective potential of adaptive immune compartment. A correct awareness, especially when other predisposing factors are present, is warranted about the potential risk of IFIs in ibrutinib-treated patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rossana Maffei
- Hematology Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy; Hematology Unit, Department of Oncology, Hematology and Respiratory Diseases, A.O.U of Modena Policlinico, Italy.
| | - Monica Maccaferri
- Hematology Unit, Department of Oncology, Hematology and Respiratory Diseases, A.O.U of Modena Policlinico, Italy
| | - Laura Arletti
- Hematology Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Stefania Fiorcari
- Hematology Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Stefania Benatti
- Hematology Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Leonardo Potenza
- Hematology Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Mario Luppi
- Hematology Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Roberto Marasca
- Hematology Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
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23
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Formanek PE, Dilling DF. Advances in the Diagnosis and Management of Invasive Fungal Disease. Chest 2019; 156:834-842. [PMID: 31351046 DOI: 10.1016/j.chest.2019.06.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2019] [Accepted: 06/30/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Perry E Formanek
- Loyola University Chicago, Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL
| | - Daniel F Dilling
- Loyola University Chicago, Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL.
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Antunes D, Cunha C, Carvalho A. Genetic Regulation of the Host-Fungus Interaction in the Pathogenesis of Aspergillosis. CURRENT FUNGAL INFECTION REPORTS 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s12281-019-00344-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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25
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Mirkov I, Popov Aleksandrov A, Lazovic B, Glamoclija J, Kataranovski M. Usefulness of animal models of aspergillosis in studying immunity against Aspergillus infections. J Mycol Med 2019; 29:84-96. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mycmed.2019.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2018] [Revised: 11/28/2018] [Accepted: 01/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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26
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Cunha C, Carvalho A. Genetic defects in fungal recognition and susceptibility to invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. Med Mycol 2019; 57:S211-S218. [PMID: 30816966 DOI: 10.1093/mmy/myy057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2018] [Revised: 06/04/2018] [Accepted: 07/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The interindividual variability in the onset and clinical course of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) raises fundamental questions about its actual pathogenesis. Clinical and epidemiological studies have reported only a few examples of monogenic defects, however an expanding number of common polymorphisms associated with IPA has been identified. Understanding how genetic variation regulates the immune response to Aspergillus provides critical insights into the human immunobiology of IPA by pinpointing directly relevant immune molecules and interacting pathways. Most of the genetic defects reported to increase susceptibility to infection were described or suggested to impair fungal recognition by the innate immune system. In this review, we discuss the contribution of host genetic variation in pattern recognition receptors to the development of IPA. An improved understanding of the molecular and cellular processes that regulate human susceptibility to IPA is ultimately expected to pave the way toward personalized medical interventions based on host-directed risk stratification and individualized immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Cunha
- 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
| | - 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
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Rossato L, Silvana dos Santos S, Ferreira LG, Rogério de Almeida S. The impact of the absence of Toll-like receptor-2 during Sporothrix brasiliensis infection. J Med Microbiol 2019; 68:87-94. [DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.000876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Luana Rossato
- Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil, Avenida Professor Lineu Prestes, 580, São Paulo, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Suelen Silvana dos Santos
- Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil, Avenida Professor Lineu Prestes, 580, São Paulo, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Lucas Gonçalves Ferreira
- Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil, Avenida Professor Lineu Prestes, 580, São Paulo, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Sandro Rogério de Almeida
- Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil, Avenida Professor Lineu Prestes, 580, São Paulo, 05508-000, Brazil
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Polymorphisms in Receptors Involved in Opsonic and Nonopsonic Phagocytosis, and Correlation with Risk of Infection in Oncohematology Patients. Infect Immun 2018; 86:IAI.00709-18. [PMID: 30275011 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00709-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2018] [Accepted: 09/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
High-risk hematological malignancies are a privileged setting for infection by opportunistic microbes, with invasive mycosis being one of the most serious complications. Recently, genetic background has emerged as an unanticipated risk factor. For this reason, polymorphisms for genes encoding archetypal receptors involved in the opsonic and nonopsonic clearance of microbes, pentraxin-3 (PTX3) and Dectin-1, respectively, were studied and correlated with the risk of infection. Fungal, bacterial, and viral infections were registered for a group of 198 patients with high-risk hematological malignancies. Polymorphisms for the pentraxin-3 gene (PTX3) showed a significant association with the risk of fungal infection by Candida spp. and, especially, by Aspergillus spp. This link remained even for patients undergoing antifungal prophylaxis, thus demonstrating the clinical relevance of PTX3 in the defense against fungi. CLEC7A polymorphisms did not show any definite correlation with the risk of invasive mycosis, nor did they influence the expression of Dectin-1 isoforms generated by alternative splicing. The PTX3 mRNA expression level was significantly lower in samples from healthy volunteers who showed these polymorphisms, although no differences were observed in the extents of induction elicited by bacterial lipopolysaccharide and heat-killed Candida albicans, thus suggesting that the expression of PTX3 at the start of infection may influence the clinical outcome. PTX3 mRNA expression can be a good biomarker to establish proper antifungal prophylaxis in immunodepressed patients.
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Arias M, Santiago L, Vidal-García M, Redrado S, Lanuza P, Comas L, Domingo MP, Rezusta A, Gálvez EM. Preparations for Invasion: Modulation of Host Lung Immunity During Pulmonary Aspergillosis by Gliotoxin and Other Fungal Secondary Metabolites. Front Immunol 2018; 9:2549. [PMID: 30459771 PMCID: PMC6232612 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.02549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2018] [Accepted: 10/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Pulmonary aspergillosis is a severe infectious disease caused by some members of the Aspergillus genus, that affects immunocompetent as well as immunocompromised patients. Among the different disease forms, Invasive Aspergillosis is the one causing the highest mortality, mainly, although not exclusively, affecting neutropenic patients. This genus is very well known by humans, since different sectors like pharmaceutical or food industry have taken advantage of the biological activity of some molecules synthetized by the fungus, known as secondary metabolites, including statins, antibiotics, fermentative compounds or colorants among others. However, during infection, in response to a hostile host environment, the fungal secondary metabolism is activated, producing different virulence factors to increase its survival chances. Some of these factors also contribute to fungal dissemination and invasion of adjacent and distant organs. Among the different secondary metabolites produced by Aspergillus spp. Gliotoxin (GT) is the best known and better characterized virulence factor. It is able to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) due to the disulfide bridge present in its structure. It also presents immunosuppressive activity related with its ability to kill mammalian cells and/or inactivate critical immune signaling pathways like NFkB. In this comprehensive review, we will briefly give an overview of the lung immune response against Aspergillus as a preface to analyse the effect of different secondary metabolites on the host immune response, with a special attention to GT. We will discuss the results reported in the literature on the context of the animal models employed to analyse the role of GT as virulence factor, which is expected to greatly depend on the immune status of the host: why should you hide when nobody is seeking for you? Finally, GT immunosuppressive activity will be related with different human diseases predisposing to invasive aspergillosis in order to have a global view on the potential of GT to be used as a target to treat IA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maykel Arias
- Instituto de Carboquímica ICB-CSIC, Zaragoza, Spain
- Immune Effector Cells Group, Aragón Health Research Institute (IIS Aragón), Biomedical Research Centre of Aragón (CIBA), Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Llipsy Santiago
- Immune Effector Cells Group, Aragón Health Research Institute (IIS Aragón), Biomedical Research Centre of Aragón (CIBA), Zaragoza, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular and Cell Biology, Fac. Ciencias, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Matxalen Vidal-García
- Immune Effector Cells Group, Aragón Health Research Institute (IIS Aragón), Biomedical Research Centre of Aragón (CIBA), Zaragoza, Spain
- Servicio de Microbiología - Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, Zaragoza, Spain
| | | | - Pilar Lanuza
- Immune Effector Cells Group, Aragón Health Research Institute (IIS Aragón), Biomedical Research Centre of Aragón (CIBA), Zaragoza, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular and Cell Biology, Fac. Ciencias, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Laura Comas
- Instituto de Carboquímica ICB-CSIC, Zaragoza, Spain
- Immune Effector Cells Group, Aragón Health Research Institute (IIS Aragón), Biomedical Research Centre of Aragón (CIBA), Zaragoza, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular and Cell Biology, Fac. Ciencias, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | | | - Antonio Rezusta
- Servicio de Microbiología - Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, Zaragoza, Spain
- Department of Microbiology, Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
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30
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Genetic deficiency of NOD2 confers resistance to invasive aspergillosis. Nat Commun 2018; 9:2636. [PMID: 29980664 PMCID: PMC6035256 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-04912-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2017] [Accepted: 05/23/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Invasive aspergillosis (IA) is a severe infection that can occur in severely immunocompromised patients. Efficient immune recognition of Aspergillus is crucial to protect against infection, and previous studies suggested a role for NOD2 in this process. However, thorough investigation of the impact of NOD2 on susceptibility to aspergillosis is lacking. Common genetic variations in NOD2 has been associated with Crohn's disease and here we investigated the influence of these genetic variations on the anti-Aspergillus host response. A NOD2 polymorphism reduced the risk of IA after hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation. Mechanistically, absence of NOD2 in monocytes and macrophages increases phagocytosis leading to enhanced fungal killing, conversely, NOD2 activation reduces the antifungal potential of these cells. Crucially, Nod2 deficiency results in resistance to Aspergillus infection in an in vivo model of pulmonary aspergillosis. Collectively, our data demonstrate that genetic deficiency of NOD2 plays a protective role during Aspergillus infection.
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31
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Brunel AS, Wójtowicz A, Lamoth F, Spertini O, Neofytos D, Calandra T, Marchetti O, Bochud PY. Pentraxin-3 polymorphisms and invasive mold infections in acute leukemia patients receiving intensive chemotherapy. Haematologica 2018; 103:e527-e530. [PMID: 29880612 DOI: 10.3324/haematol.2018.195453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Sophie Brunel
- Infectious Diseases Service, Department of Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV)
| | - Agnieszka Wójtowicz
- Infectious Diseases Service, Department of Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV)
| | - Frédéric Lamoth
- Infectious Diseases Service, Department of Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV).,Microbiology Institute, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV)
| | - Olivier Spertini
- Hematology Service, Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV)
| | | | - Thierry Calandra
- Infectious Diseases Service, Department of Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV)
| | - Oscar Marchetti
- Infectious Diseases Service, Department of Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV).,Department of Medicine, Ensemble Hospitalier de la Côte, Morges, Switzerland
| | - Pierre-Yves Bochud
- Infectious Diseases Service, Department of Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV)
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Campos CF, van de Veerdonk FL, Gonçalves SM, Cunha C, Netea MG, Carvalho A. Host Genetic Signatures of Susceptibility to Fungal Disease. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2018; 422:237-263. [PMID: 30043341 DOI: 10.1007/82_2018_113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Our relative inability to predict the development of fungal disease and its clinical outcome raises fundamental questions about its actual pathogenesis. Several clinical risk factors are described to predispose to fungal disease, particularly in immunocompromised and severely ill patients. However, these alone do not entirely explain why, under comparable clinical conditions, only some patients develop infection. Recent clinical and epidemiological studies have reported an expanding number of monogenic defects and common polymorphisms associated with fungal disease. By directly implicating genetic variation in the functional regulation of immune mediators and interacting pathways, these studies have provided critical insights into the human immunobiology of fungal disease. Most of the common genetic defects reported were described or suggested to impair fungal recognition by the innate immune system. Here, we review common genetic variation in pattern recognition receptors and its impact on the immune response against the two major fungal pathogens Candida albicans and Aspergillus fumigatus. In addition, we discuss potential strategies and opportunities for the clinical translation of genetic information in the field of medical mycology. These approaches are expected to transfigure current clinical practice by unleashing an unprecedented ability to personalize prophylaxis, therapy and monitoring for fungal disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cláudia F Campos
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Frank L van de Veerdonk
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases (RCI), Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Samuel M Gonçalves
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Cristina Cunha
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Mihai G Netea
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases (RCI), Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Agostinho Carvalho
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal. .,ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal.
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Gonçalves SM, Lagrou K, Rodrigues CS, Campos CF, Bernal-Martínez L, Rodrigues F, Silvestre R, Alcazar-Fuoli L, Maertens JA, Cunha C, Carvalho A. Evaluation of Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid Cytokines as Biomarkers for Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis in At-Risk Patients. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:2362. [PMID: 29238334 PMCID: PMC5712575 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.02362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2017] [Accepted: 11/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) is an infection that primarily affects immunocompromised hosts, including hematological patients and stem-cell transplant recipients. The diagnosis of IPA remains challenging, making desirable the availability of new specific biomarkers. High-throughput methods now allow us to interrogate the immune system for multiple markers of inflammation with enhanced resolution. Methods: To determine whether a signature of alveolar cytokines could be associated with the development of IPA and used as a diagnostic biomarker, we performed a nested case-control study involving 113 patients at-risk. Results: Among the 32 analytes tested, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-17A, IL-23, and TNFα were significantly increased among patients with IPA, defining two clusters able to accurately differentiate cases of infection from controls. Genetic variants previously reported to confer increased risk of IPA compromised the production of specific cytokines and impaired their discriminatory potential toward infection. Collectively, our data indicated that IL-8 was the best performing cytokine, with alveolar levels ≥904 pg/mL predicting IPA with elevated sensitivity (90%), specificity (73%), and negative predictive value (88%). Conclusions: These findings highlight the existence of a specific profile of alveolar cytokines, with IL-8 being the dominant discriminator, which might be useful in supporting current diagnostic approaches for IPA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel M Gonçalves
- 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
| | - Katrien Lagrou
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Laboratory Medicine and National Reference Center for Medical Mycology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Cláudia S Rodrigues
- 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
| | - Cláudia F Campos
- 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
| | - Leticia Bernal-Martínez
- Mycology Reference Laboratory, National Centre for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Fernando Rodrigues
- 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
| | - Ricardo Silvestre
- 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
| | - Laura Alcazar-Fuoli
- Mycology Reference Laboratory, National Centre for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Johan A Maertens
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Hematology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Cristina Cunha
- 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
| | - 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
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34
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Cunha C, Gonçalves SM, Duarte-Oliveira C, Leite L, Lagrou K, Marques A, Lupiañez CB, Mesquita I, Gaifem J, Barbosa AM, Pinho Vaz C, Branca R, Campilho F, Freitas F, Ligeiro D, Lass-Flörl C, Löffler J, Jurado M, Saraiva M, Kurzai O, Rodrigues F, Castro AG, Silvestre R, Sainz J, Maertens JA, Torrado E, Jacobsen ID, Lacerda JF, Campos A, Carvalho A. IL-10 overexpression predisposes to invasive aspergillosis by suppressing antifungal immunity. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2017; 140:867-870.e9. [PMID: 28389392 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2017.02.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2016] [Revised: 01/18/2017] [Accepted: 02/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Cunha
- 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
| | - Samuel M Gonçalves
- 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
| | - Cláudio Duarte-Oliveira
- 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
| | - Luís Leite
- Serviço de Transplantação de Medula Óssea, Instituto Português de Oncologia do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Katrien Lagrou
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Laboratory Medicine and National Reference Center for Medical Mycology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - António Marques
- Serviço de Imuno-Hemoterapia, Hospital de Braga, Braga, Portugal
| | - Carmen B Lupiañez
- Genomic Oncology Area, GENYO, Center for Genomics and Oncological Research, Pfizer/University of Granada/Andalusian Regional Government, PTS Granada, Granada, Spain; Hematology Department, Virgen de las Nieves University Hospital, Granada, Spain
| | - Inês Mesquita
- 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
| | - Joana Gaifem
- 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
| | - Ana Margarida Barbosa
- 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
| | - Carlos Pinho Vaz
- Serviço de Transplantação de Medula Óssea, Instituto Português de Oncologia do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Rosa Branca
- Serviço de Transplantação de Medula Óssea, Instituto Português de Oncologia do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Fernando Campilho
- Serviço de Transplantação de Medula Óssea, Instituto Português de Oncologia do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Fátima Freitas
- Instituto Português do Sangue e Transplantação, IP, Porto, Portugal
| | - Dário Ligeiro
- Instituto Português do Sangue e Transplantação, IP, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Cornelia Lass-Flörl
- Division of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Jürgen Löffler
- Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Manuel Jurado
- Genomic Oncology Area, GENYO, Center for Genomics and Oncological Research, Pfizer/University of Granada/Andalusian Regional Government, PTS Granada, Granada, Spain; Hematology Department, Virgen de las Nieves University Hospital, Granada, Spain
| | - Margarida Saraiva
- i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal; IBMC-Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Oliver Kurzai
- Septomics Research Centre, Friedrich Schiller University and Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Fernando Rodrigues
- 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
| | - António G Castro
- 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
| | - Ricardo Silvestre
- 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
| | - Juan Sainz
- Genomic Oncology Area, GENYO, Center for Genomics and Oncological Research, Pfizer/University of Granada/Andalusian Regional Government, PTS Granada, Granada, Spain; Hematology Department, Virgen de las Nieves University Hospital, Granada, Spain
| | - Johan A Maertens
- Department of Hematology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Egídio Torrado
- 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
| | - Ilse D Jacobsen
- Research Group Microbial Immunology, Friedrich Schiller University and Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - João F Lacerda
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal; Serviço de Hematologia e Transplantação de Medula, Hospital de Santa Maria, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - António Campos
- Serviço de Transplantação de Medula Óssea, Instituto Português de Oncologia do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - 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.
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Carvalho A, Duarte-Oliveira C, Gonçalves SM, Campos A, Lacerda JF, Cunha C. Fungal Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics: Current Concepts and Future Challenges. CURRENT FUNGAL INFECTION REPORTS 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s12281-017-0272-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
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36
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Carvalho A, Goldman GH. Editorial: An Omics Perspective on Fungal Infection: Toward Next-Generation Diagnosis and Therapy. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:85. [PMID: 28184220 PMCID: PMC5266709 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.00085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2016] [Accepted: 01/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Agostinho Carvalho
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of MinhoBraga, Portugal; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate LaboratoryBraga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Gustavo H Goldman
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo São Paulo, Brazil
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37
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Gonçalves SM, Lagrou K, Duarte-Oliveira C, Maertens JA, Cunha C, Carvalho A. The microbiome-metabolome crosstalk in the pathogenesis of respiratory fungal diseases. Virulence 2016; 8:673-684. [PMID: 27820674 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2016.1257458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Filamentous fungi of the genus Aspergillus are responsible for several superficial and invasive infections and allergic syndromes. The risk of infection and its clinical outcome vary significantly even among patients with similar predisposing clinical factors and pathogen exposure. There is increasing evidence that the individual microbiome supervises the outcome of the host-fungus interaction by influencing mechanisms of immune regulation, inflammation, metabolism, and other physiological processes. Microbiome-mediated mechanisms of resistance allow therefore the control of fungal colonization, preventing the onset of overt disease, particularly in patients with underlying immune dysfunction. Here, we review this emerging area of research and discuss the contribution of the microbiota (and its dysbiosis), including its immunoregulatory properties and relationship with the metabolic activity of commensals, to respiratory fungal diseases. Finally, we highlight possible strategies aimed at decoding the microbiome-metabolome dialog and at its exploitation toward personalized medical interventions in patients at high risk of infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel M Gonçalves
- a Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho , Braga , Portugal.,b ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory , Guimarães , Portugal
| | - Katrien Lagrou
- c Department of Microbiology and Immunology , KU Leuven - University of Leuven , Leuven , Belgium.,d Department of Laboratory Medicine and National Reference Center for Medical Mycology , University Hospitals Leuven , Leuven , Belgium
| | - Cláudio Duarte-Oliveira
- a Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho , Braga , Portugal.,b ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory , Guimarães , Portugal
| | - Johan A Maertens
- e Department of Hematology , University Hospitals Leuven , Leuven , Belgium
| | - Cristina Cunha
- a Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho , Braga , Portugal.,b ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory , Guimarães , Portugal
| | - Agostinho Carvalho
- a Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho , Braga , Portugal.,b ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory , Guimarães , Portugal
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Pagano L, Busca A, Candoni A, Cattaneo C, Cesaro S, Fanci R, Nadali G, Potenza L, Russo D, Tumbarello M, Nosari A, Aversa F. Risk stratification for invasive fungal infections in patients with hematological malignancies: SEIFEM recommendations. Blood Rev 2016; 31:17-29. [PMID: 27682882 DOI: 10.1016/j.blre.2016.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2016] [Revised: 09/05/2016] [Accepted: 09/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Invasive fungal infections (IFIs) are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients. Patients with hematological malignancies undergoing conventional chemotherapy, autologous or allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation are considered at high risk, and Aspergillus spp. represents the most frequently isolated micro-organisms. In the last years, attention has also been focused on other rare molds (e.g., Zygomycetes, Fusarium spp.) responsible for devastating clinical manifestations. The extensive use of antifungal prophylaxis has reduced the infections from yeasts (e.g., candidemia) even though they are still associated with high mortality rates. This paper analyzes concurrent multiple predisposing factors that could favor the onset of fungal infections. Although neutropenia is common to almost all hematologic patients, other factors play a key role in specific patients, in particular in patients with AML or allogeneic HSCT recipients. Defining those patients at higher risk of IFIs may help to design the most appropriate diagnostic work-up and antifungal strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Livio Pagano
- Istituto di Ematologia, Università Cattolica S. Cuore, Roma, Italy.
| | - Alessandro Busca
- Stem Cell Transplant Center, AOU Citta' della Salute e della Scienza, Turin, Italy
| | - Anna Candoni
- Clinica Ematologica, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Santa Maria Misericordia, Udine, Italy
| | | | - Simone Cesaro
- Oncoematologia Pediatrica, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata, Verona, Italy
| | - Rosa Fanci
- Unità Funzionale di Ematologia, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi e Università di Firenze, Italy
| | - Gianpaolo Nadali
- Unità Operativa Complessa di Ematologia, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata di Verona, Italy
| | - Leonardo Potenza
- UOC Ematologia, Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche e Chirurgiche Materno Infantili e dell'Adulto, Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Domenico Russo
- Cattedra di Ematologia, Unità di Malattie del Sangue e Trapianto di Midollo Osseo, Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche e Sperimentali, Università di Brescia e ASST Spedali Civili, Brescia, Italy
| | - Mario Tumbarello
- Istituto di Malattie Infettive, Università Cattolica S. Cuore, Roma, Italy
| | - Annamaria Nosari
- Divisione di Ematologia e Centro Trapianti Midollo, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milano, Italy
| | - Franco Aversa
- Hematology and BMT Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Parma, Italy
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MyD88 Shapes Vaccine Immunity by Extrinsically Regulating Survival of CD4+ T Cells during the Contraction Phase. PLoS Pathog 2016; 12:e1005787. [PMID: 27542117 PMCID: PMC4991787 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2016] [Accepted: 07/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Soaring rates of systemic fungal infections worldwide underscore the need for vaccine prevention. An understanding of the elements that promote vaccine immunity is essential. We previously reported that Th17 cells are required for vaccine immunity to the systemic dimorphic fungi of North America, and that Card9 and MyD88 signaling are required for the development of protective Th17 cells. Herein, we investigated where, when and how MyD88 regulates T cell development. We uncovered a novel mechanism in which MyD88 extrinsically regulates the survival of activated T cells during the contraction phase and in the absence of inflammation, but is dispensable for the expansion and differentiation of the cells. The poor survival of activated T cells in Myd88-/- mice is linked to increased caspase3-mediated apoptosis, but not to Fas- or Bim-dependent apoptotic pathways, nor to reduced expression of the anti-apoptotic molecules Bcl-2 or Bcl-xL. Moreover, TLR3, 7, and/or 9, but not TLR2 or 4, also were required extrinsically for MyD88-dependent Th17 cell responses and vaccine immunity. Similar MyD88 requirements governed the survival of virus primed T cells. Our data identify unappreciated new requirements for eliciting adaptive immunity and have implications for designing vaccines. Despite several million new systemic fungal infections annually worldwide, there are no commercial vaccines available. The development of effective vaccines requires a fundamental understanding of how protective immune responses are induced. Using experimental vaccine strains, we previously demonstrated that populations of T helper cells producing interleukin 17 (Th17 cells) and interferon gamma (Th1 cells) mediate vaccine resistance to systemic dimorphic fungi of North America. Here, we report how the immune system recognizes the fungal vaccines and induces the development of protective T cells. We delineate the role of pathogen recognition receptors (PRRs) and their common signaling pathway in host immune cells that recognize the fungal vaccine. While the signaling pathway studied is essential for the development of vaccine-induced T cells, the mechanism of action is novel and included T cell death after activation. The findings could be extended to virus-specific T cells suggesting that the mechanism is conserved among the microbial kingdom. Our work sheds new light on how protective T cells are induced and can be harnessed by vaccine strategies tailored against fungal and other microbial infections.
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Ceesay MM, Kordasti S, Rufaie E, Lea N, Smith M, Wade J, Douiri A, Mufti GJ, Pagliuca A. Baseline cytokine profiling identifies novel risk factors for invasive fungal disease among haematology patients undergoing intensive chemotherapy or haematopoietic stem cell transplantation. J Infect 2016; 73:280-8. [PMID: 27343564 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinf.2016.04.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2016] [Revised: 04/16/2016] [Accepted: 04/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Invasive fungal disease (IFD) is a disease of immunocompromised hosts. Cytokines are important mediators of innate and adaptive immune system. The aim of this study was to identify cytokine profiles that correlate with increased risk of IFD. METHODS We prospectively enrolled 172 adult haematology patients undergoing intensive chemotherapy, immunosuppressive therapy, and haematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Pro-inflammatory cytokine profiling using 30-plex Luminex assay was performed at baseline and during treatment. Nine single nucleotide polymorphisms (TLR1, TLR2, TLR3, TLR4.1, TLR4.2, TLR6, CLEC7A, CARD9, and INFG) were investigated among transplant recipients and donors. FINDINGS The incidence of IFD in this cohort was 16.9% (29/172). Median baseline serum concentrations of IL-15, IL-2R, CCL2, and MIP-1α were significantly higher whilst IL-4 was lower in patients with proven/probable IFD compared to those with no evidence of IFD. Baseline high IL-2R and CCL2 were associated with increased risk of IFD in the multivariate analysis (adjusted hazard ratio 2.3 [95% CI 1.1-5.1; P = 0.037], and hazard ratio 2.7 [95% CI 1.2-6.1; P = 0.016], respectively). However, these differences were not significant in follow up measurements. Similarly, no significant independent prognostic value was associated with baseline cytokine profile. INTERPRETATION High baseline IL-2R and CCL2 concentrations were independent indicators of the risk of developing IFD and could be used to identify patients for enhanced prophylaxis and early antifungal therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Mansour Ceesay
- Department of Haematological Medicine, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London, London, SE5 9RS, United Kingdom.
| | - Shahram Kordasti
- Department of Haematological Medicine, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London, London, SE5 9RS, United Kingdom
| | - Eamaan Rufaie
- Department of Haematological Medicine, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London, London, SE5 9RS, United Kingdom
| | - Nicholas Lea
- Department of Haematological Medicine, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London, London, SE5 9RS, United Kingdom
| | - Melvyn Smith
- Department of Virology, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, SE5 9RS, United Kingdom
| | - Jim Wade
- Department of Microbiology, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, SE5 9RS, United Kingdom
| | - Abdel Douiri
- Department of Public Health Science, King's College London and NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom
| | - Ghulam J Mufti
- Department of Haematological Medicine, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London, London, SE5 9RS, United Kingdom
| | - Antonio Pagliuca
- Department of Haematological Medicine, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London, London, SE5 9RS, United Kingdom
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Polymorphisms of Dectin-1 and TLR2 Predispose to Invasive Fungal Disease in Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0150632. [PMID: 26963509 PMCID: PMC4786091 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0150632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2015] [Accepted: 02/17/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who undergo induction chemotherapy are at high risk for invasive fungal disease (IFD). Dectin-1, a C-type lectin family member represents one of the most important pattern recognition receptors of the innate immune system and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the Dectin-1 gene have been associated with an increased risk of infectious complications. We sought to investigate the impact of three different Dectin-1 SNPs and one TLR2 SNP on developing IFD in 186 adult patients with newly diagnosed AML following anthracycline-based induction chemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS Genotyping of Dectin-1 SNPs (rs16910526, rs3901533 and rs7309123) and TLR2 SNP (rs5743708) was performed by TaqMan method and pyrosequencing. IFD was defined according to the EORTC/MSG consensus guidelines. Multiple logistic regression analyses were applied to evaluate the association between the polymorphisms and the occurrence of pulmonary infections. Dectin-1 expression studies with SNP genotyped human monocytes were performed to elucidate susceptibility to IFD following chemotherapy. RESULTS We could demonstrate that patients carrying the Dectin-1 SNP rs7309123 G/G (n = 47) or G/G and C/G (n = 133) genotype revealed a significant higher risk for developing both pneumonia in general (adjusted odds ratio (OR): 2.5; p = 0.014 and OR: 3.0, p = 0.004) and pulmonary IFD (OR: 2.6; p = 0.012 and OR: 2.4, p = 0.041, respectively). Patients carrying the TLR2 SNP rs5743708 (R753Q, GA/AA genotype, n = 12) also revealed a significantly higher susceptibility to pneumonia including IFD. Furthermore, Dectin-1 mRNA expression in human monocytes was lower following chemotherapy. CONCLUSION To our best knowledge, this study represents the first analysis demonstrating that harbouring polymorphisms of Dectin-1 (rs7309123) or TLR2 (rs5743708) represents an independent risk factor of developing IFD in patients with AML undergoing induction chemotherapy.
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Netea MG, Joosten LAB, van der Meer JWM, Kullberg BJ, van de Veerdonk FL. Immune defence against Candida fungal infections. Nat Rev Immunol 2015; 15:630-42. [DOI: 10.1038/nri3897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 325] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Zhang J, Debets AJM, Verweij PE, Melchers WJG, Zwaan BJ, Schoustra SE. Asexual sporulation facilitates adaptation: The emergence of azole resistance in Aspergillus fumigatus. Evolution 2015; 69:2573-86. [PMID: 26315993 DOI: 10.1111/evo.12763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2014] [Revised: 07/11/2015] [Accepted: 08/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the occurrence and spread of azole resistance in Aspergillus fumigatus is crucial for public health. It has been hypothesized that asexual sporulation, which is abundant in nature, is essential for phenotypic expression of azole resistance mutations in A. fumigatus facilitating subsequent spread through natural selection. Furthermore, the disease aspergilloma is associated with asexual sporulation within the lungs of patients and the emergence of azole resistance. This study assessed the evolutionary advantage of asexual sporulation by growing the fungus under pressure of one of five different azole fungicides over seven weeks and by comparing the rate of adaptation between scenarios of culturing with and without asexual sporulation. Results unequivocally show that asexual sporulation facilitates adaptation. This can be explained by the combination of more effective selection because of the transition from a multicellular to a unicellular stage, and by increased mutation supply due to the production of spores, which involves numerous mitotic divisions. Insights from this study are essential to unravel the resistance mechanisms of sporulating pathogens to chemical compounds and disease agents in general, and for designing strategies that prevent or overcome the emerging threat of azole resistance in particular.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianhua Zhang
- Laboratory of Genetics, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Alfons J M Debets
- Laboratory of Genetics, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Paul E Verweij
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Centre, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Willem J G Melchers
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Centre, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Bas J Zwaan
- Laboratory of Genetics, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Sijmen E Schoustra
- Laboratory of Genetics, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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Intrinsic MyD88-Akt1-mTOR Signaling Coordinates Disparate Tc17 and Tc1 Responses during Vaccine Immunity against Fungal Pneumonia. PLoS Pathog 2015; 11:e1005161. [PMID: 26367276 PMCID: PMC4569330 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2015] [Accepted: 08/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungal infections have skyrocketed in immune-compromised patients lacking CD4+ T cells, underscoring the need for vaccine prevention. An understanding of the elements that promote vaccine immunity in this setting is essential. We previously demonstrated that vaccine-induced IL-17A+ CD8+ T cells (Tc17) are required for resistance against lethal fungal pneumonia in CD4+ T cell-deficient hosts, whereas the individual type I cytokines IFN-γ, TNF-α and GM-CSF, are dispensable. Here, we report that T cell-intrinsic MyD88 signals are crucial for these Tc17 cell responses and vaccine immunity against lethal fungal pneumonia in mice. In contrast, IFN-γ+ CD8+ cell (Tc1) responses are largely normal in the absence of intrinsic MyD88 signaling in CD8+ T cells. The poor accumulation of MyD88-deficient Tc17 cells was not linked to an early onset of contraction, nor to accelerated cell death or diminished expression of anti-apoptotic molecules Bcl-2 or Bcl-xL. Instead, intrinsic MyD88 was required to sustain the proliferation of Tc17 cells through the activation of mTOR via Akt1. Moreover, intrinsic IL-1R and TLR2, but not IL-18R, were required for MyD88 dependent Tc17 responses. Our data identify unappreciated targets for augmenting adaptive immunity against fungi. Our findings have implications for designing fungal vaccines and immune-based therapies in immune-compromised patients. Patients with AIDS, cancer or immune suppressive treatments are vulnerable to infection with invasive fungi. We have found that even when helper CD4 T cells are profoundly reduced in a mouse model that mimics this defect in AIDS, other remaining T cells are capable of mounting vaccine immunity against a deadly fungal infection, and they do so by producing the powerful, soluble product, IL-17. It has been widely believed that the activation and instruction of such cells, called Tc17 cells, is governed by another population of immune cells in the body, but we have found here that pathways within these Tc17 cells themselves mediate their activation and ability to produce the IL-17 needed for resistance to infection. We have also identified elements of the circuitry controlling this pathway—elements called MyD88, Akt1 and mTOR—and found that they control the production of IL-17 and not other products such as IFN-γ often produced by these cells. Further, we determined that this circuitry controls the development of Tc17 cells by regulating their ability to divide and expand. Thus, in a mouse model of vaccination against lethal fungal pneumonia caused by Blastomyces dermatitidis, we uncovered an important cellular arsenal that can be recruited to bolster resistance against a fungal infection, and identified novel ways in which the cells develop and expand into potent killers of fungi.
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Epidemiology and risk factors for invasive fungal diseases in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Curr Opin Hematol 2015; 21:459-65. [PMID: 25295743 DOI: 10.1097/moh.0000000000000086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Knowledge of the epidemiology and the risk factors of invasive fungal diseases (IFDs) in hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients is a critical determinant of the prevention, diagnosis and therapeutic antifungal strategy. Transplant procedures are characterized by a continuous evolution; therefore, an update of the epidemiological findings of IFDs in HSCT populations is needed. RECENT FINDINGS In the last few years, the incidence and the clinical risk factors of IFD, mainly in allogeneic HSCT populations, have been investigated in prospective, multicenter studies. New findings in the different types and phases of transplant may be considered for a redefinition of the level of risk of IFD after HSCT. Furthermore, recent studies have uncovered associations between host's and/or donor's genetic variants and immunological risk for IFDs, in particular invasive aspergillosis. SUMMARY Evolution of the transplant procedures was followed by an important change in the epidemiology and clinical risk of IFD after allogeneic HSCT. A new stratification of subpopulations according to different clinical infectious risk and genetic susceptibility may be considered to predict those patients most vulnerable to IFD and update tailored antifungal strategies.
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Cunha C, Monteiro AA, Oliveira-Coelho A, Kühne J, Rodrigues F, Sasaki SD, Schio SM, Camargo JJ, Mantovani A, Carvalho A, Pasqualotto AC. PTX3-Based Genetic Testing for Risk of Aspergillosis After Lung Transplant. Clin Infect Dis 2015; 61:1893-4. [PMID: 26261201 DOI: 10.1093/cid/civ679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Cunha
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, Braga ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Alexandre A Monteiro
- Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Porto Alegre
| | - Ana Oliveira-Coelho
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, Braga ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Juliana Kühne
- Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Porto Alegre
| | - Fernando Rodrigues
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, Braga ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Sergio D Sasaki
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, Braga ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABC, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | - Alberto Mantovani
- Department of Inflammation and Immunology, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center Humanitas University, Rozzano, Italy
| | - Agostinho Carvalho
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, Braga ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Alessandro C Pasqualotto
- Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Porto Alegre
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Oliveira-Coelho A, Rodrigues F, Campos A, Lacerda JF, Carvalho A, Cunha C. Paving the way for predictive diagnostics and personalized treatment of invasive aspergillosis. Front Microbiol 2015; 6:411. [PMID: 25999936 PMCID: PMC4419722 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.00411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2015] [Accepted: 04/20/2015] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Invasive aspergillosis (IA) is a life-threatening fungal disease commonly diagnosed among individuals with immunological deficits, namely hematological patients undergoing chemotherapy or allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Vaccines are not available, and despite the improved diagnosis and antifungal therapy, the treatment of IA is associated with a poor outcome. Importantly, the risk of infection and its clinical outcome vary significantly even among patients with similar predisposing clinical factors and microbiological exposure. Recent insights into antifungal immunity have further highlighted the complexity of host-fungus interactions and the multiple pathogen-sensing systems activated to control infection. How to decode this information into clinical practice remains however, a challenging issue in medical mycology. Here, we address recent advances in our understanding of the host-fungus interaction and discuss the application of this knowledge in potential strategies with the aim of moving toward personalized diagnostics and treatment (theranostics) in immunocompromised patients. Ultimately, the integration of individual traits into a clinically applicable process to predict the risk and progression of disease, and the efficacy of antifungal prophylaxis and therapy, holds the promise of a pioneering innovation benefiting patients at risk of IA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Oliveira-Coelho
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho , Braga, Portugal ; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory , Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Fernando Rodrigues
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho , Braga, Portugal ; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory , Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - António Campos
- Serviço de Transplantação de Medula Óssea, Instituto Português de Oncologia do Porto , Porto, Portugal
| | - João F Lacerda
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina de Lisboa , Lisboa, Portugal ; Serviço de Hematologia e Transplantação de Medula, Hospital de Santa Maria , Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Agostinho Carvalho
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho , Braga, Portugal ; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory , Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Cristina Cunha
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho , Braga, Portugal ; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory , Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
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Liss B, Vehreschild JJ, Bangard C, Maintz D, Frank K, Grönke S, Michels G, Hamprecht A, Wisplinghoff H, Markiefka B, Hekmat K, Vehreschild MJGT, Cornely OA. Our 2015 approach to invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. Mycoses 2015; 58:375-82. [DOI: 10.1111/myc.12319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2015] [Revised: 03/09/2015] [Accepted: 03/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- B. Liss
- Department I of Internal Medicine; University Hospital of Cologne; Cologne Germany
- Center for Integrated Oncology CIO KölnBonn; University of Cologne; Cologne Germany
| | - J. J. Vehreschild
- Department I of Internal Medicine; University Hospital of Cologne; Cologne Germany
- Center for Integrated Oncology CIO KölnBonn; University of Cologne; Cologne Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF); partner site Bonn-Cologne; Cologne Germany
| | - C. Bangard
- Department of Radiology; University Hospital of Cologne; Cologne Germany
| | - D. Maintz
- Department of Radiology; University Hospital of Cologne; Cologne Germany
| | - K. Frank
- Department III of Internal Medicine; Heart Centre of the University of Cologne; Cologne Germany
| | - S. Grönke
- Department III of Internal Medicine; Heart Centre of the University of Cologne; Cologne Germany
| | - G. Michels
- Department III of Internal Medicine; Heart Centre of the University of Cologne; Cologne Germany
| | - A. Hamprecht
- Institute for Medical Microbiology; Immunology and Hygiene; University Hospital of Cologne; Cologne Germany
| | - H. Wisplinghoff
- Institute for Medical Microbiology; Immunology and Hygiene; University Hospital of Cologne; Cologne Germany
| | - B. Markiefka
- Institute of Pathology; University Hospital of Cologne; Cologne Germany
| | - K. Hekmat
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery; University Hospital of Cologne; Cologne Germany
| | - M. J. G. T. Vehreschild
- Department I of Internal Medicine; University Hospital of Cologne; Cologne Germany
- Center for Integrated Oncology CIO KölnBonn; University of Cologne; Cologne Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF); partner site Bonn-Cologne; Cologne Germany
| | - O. A. Cornely
- Department I of Internal Medicine; University Hospital of Cologne; Cologne Germany
- Center for Integrated Oncology CIO KölnBonn; University of Cologne; Cologne Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF); partner site Bonn-Cologne; Cologne Germany
- Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD); University of Cologne; Cologne Germany
- Clinical Trials Centre Cologne; ZKS Köln; University of Cologne; Cologne Germany
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Duggan S, Leonhardt I, Hünniger K, Kurzai O. Host response to Candida albicans bloodstream infection and sepsis. Virulence 2015; 6:316-26. [PMID: 25785541 PMCID: PMC4601378 DOI: 10.4161/21505594.2014.988096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Candida albicans is a major cause of bloodstream infection which may present as sepsis and septic shock - major causes of morbidity and mortality world-wide. After invasion of the pathogen, innate mechanisms govern the early response. Here, we outline the models used to study these mechanisms and summarize our current understanding of innate immune responses during Candida bloodstream infection. This includes protective immunity as well as harmful responses resulting in Candida induced sepsis. Neutrophilic granulocytes are considered principal effector cells conferring protection and recognize C. albicans mainly via complement receptor 3. They possess a range of effector mechanisms, contributing to elimination of the pathogen. Neutrophil activation is closely linked to complement and modulated by activated mononuclear cells. A thorough understanding of these mechanisms will help in creating an individualized approach to patients suffering from systemic candidiasis and aid in optimizing clinical management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seána Duggan
- a Septomics Research Center ; Friedrich-Schiller-University and Leibniz-Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans-Knoell-Institute ; Jena , Germany
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50
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Jhingran A, Kasahara S, Shepardson KM, Junecko BAF, Heung LJ, Kumasaka DK, Knoblaugh SE, Lin X, Kazmierczak BI, Reinhart TA, Cramer RA, Hohl TM. Compartment-specific and sequential role of MyD88 and CARD9 in chemokine induction and innate defense during respiratory fungal infection. PLoS Pathog 2015; 11:e1004589. [PMID: 25621893 PMCID: PMC4306481 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1004589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2014] [Accepted: 11/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus forms ubiquitous airborne conidia that humans inhale on a daily basis. Although respiratory fungal infection activates the adaptor proteins CARD9 and MyD88 via C-type lectin, Toll-like, and interleukin-1 family receptor signals, defining the temporal and spatial pattern of MyD88- and CARD9-coupled signals in immune activation and fungal clearance has been difficult to achieve. Herein, we demonstrate that MyD88 and CARD9 act in two discrete phases and in two cellular compartments to direct chemokine- and neutrophil-dependent host defense. The first phase depends on MyD88 signaling because genetic deletion of MyD88 leads to delayed induction of the neutrophil chemokines CXCL1 and CXCL5, delayed neutrophil lung trafficking, and fatal pulmonary damage at the onset of respiratory fungal infection. MyD88 expression in lung epithelial cells restores rapid chemokine induction and neutrophil recruitment via interleukin-1 receptor signaling. Exogenous CXCL1 administration reverses murine mortality in MyD88-deficient mice. The second phase depends predominately on CARD9 signaling because genetic deletion of CARD9 in radiosensitive hematopoietic cells interrupts CXCL1 and CXCL2 production and lung neutrophil recruitment beyond the initial MyD88-dependent phase. Using a CXCL2 reporter mouse, we show that lung-infiltrating neutrophils represent the major cellular source of CXCL2 during CARD9-dependent recruitment. Although neutrophil-intrinsic MyD88 and CARD9 function are dispensable for neutrophil conidial uptake and killing in the lung, global deletion of both adaptor proteins triggers rapidly progressive invasive disease when mice are challenged with an inoculum that is sub-lethal for single adapter protein knockout mice. Our findings demonstrate that distinct signal transduction pathways in the respiratory epithelium and hematopoietic compartment partially overlap to ensure optimal chemokine induction, neutrophil recruitment, and fungal clearance within the respiratory tract. Our understanding of how epithelial and hematopoietic cells in the lung coordinate immunity against inhaled fungal conidia (spores) remains limited. The mold Aspergillus fumigatus is a major cause of infectious mortality in immune compromised patients. Host defense against A. fumigatus involves the activation of two host signal transducers, MyD88 and CARD9, leading to neutrophil recruitment to the infection site. In this study, we define how MyD88- and CARD9-coupled signals operate in epithelial and hematopoietic compartments to regulate neutrophil-mediated defense against A. fumigatus. Our studies support a two-stage model in which MyD88 activation in epithelial cells, via the interleukin-1 receptor, supports the rapid induction of neutrophil-recruiting chemokines. This process is essential for the first phase of neutrophil recruitment. Mortality observed in MyD88-deficient mice can be significantly reversed by administration of a chemokine termed CXCL1 to infected airways. The second phase of neutrophil recruitment is initiated by CARD9 signaling in hematopoietic cells. Loss of both phases of chemokine induction and neutrophil recruitment dramatically increases murine susceptibility to tissue-invasive disease. In sum, our study defines a temporal sequence of events, initiated by interleukin-1 receptor/MyD88 signaling in the pulmonary epithelium and propagated by CARD9 signaling in hematopoietic cells, that induces protective immunity against inhaled fungal conidia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anupam Jhingran
- Infectious Disease Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Shinji Kasahara
- Infectious Disease Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Kelly M Shepardson
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth University, Hanover, New Hampshire, United States of America
| | - Beth A Fallert Junecko
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Lena J Heung
- Infectious Disease Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Debra K Kumasaka
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Sue E Knoblaugh
- Comparative Medicine Shared Resources, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Xin Lin
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Barbara I Kazmierczak
- Department of Medicine and Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Todd A Reinhart
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Robert A Cramer
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth University, Hanover, New Hampshire, United States of America
| | - Tobias M Hohl
- Infectious Disease Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, United States of America; Immunology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, United States of America
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