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Rodríguez-Cerdeira C, Hernández-Castro R, Arenas R, Sandoval-Tress C, Gutiérrez-Murillo F, Martínez-Chavarría LC, Xicohtencatl-Cortes J, Fida M, Martinez-Herrera E. From Child to Old Man: A Slowly Evolving Case of Chromoblastomycosis Caused by Cladosporium cladosporioides. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:1713. [PMID: 38136747 PMCID: PMC10741158 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12121713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Chromoblastomycosis is a chronic granulomatous mycosis of the skin and subcutaneous tissue caused by traumatic inoculation with dematiaceous fungi. This disease primarily affects agricultural workers, who are mostly men. We present a case of chromoblastomycosis in a 63-year-old male farmer patient with dermatosis over 50 years of evolution, with warty, erythematous, and scaly plaques that predominate on the left hemithorax. Direct examination with potassium hydroxide (KOH) revealed numerous fumagoid cells. Amplification and sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF-1a) gene revealed that chromoblastomycosis was caused by Cladosporium cladosporioides. The chromoblastomycosis was treated with itraconazole and fluconazole without any improvement, and amphotericin B was administered with partial improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Rodríguez-Cerdeira
- Fundación Vithas, Grupo Hospitalario Vithas, 28043 Madrid, Spain;
- Dermatology Department, Hospital do Vithas, 36206 Vigo, Spain
- European Women’s Dermatologic and Venereologic Society, 36700 Tui, Spain;
- Psychodermatology Task Force of the Ibero-Latin American College of Dermatology (CILAD), Buenos Aires C1091, Argentina
| | - Rigoberto Hernández-Castro
- Departamento de Ecología y Agentes Patógenos, Hospital General Dr. Manuel Gea González, Tlalpan 14080, Mexico;
| | - Roberto Arenas
- Fundación Vithas, Grupo Hospitalario Vithas, 28043 Madrid, Spain;
- European Women’s Dermatologic and Venereologic Society, 36700 Tui, Spain;
- Psychodermatology Task Force of the Ibero-Latin American College of Dermatology (CILAD), Buenos Aires C1091, Argentina
- Sección de Micología, Hospital General “Dr. Manuel Gea González”, Tlalpan 14080, Mexico
| | - Cecilia Sandoval-Tress
- Departamento de Dermatología, Hospital General de Zona # 42 Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Puerto Vallarta 48310, Mexico;
| | | | - Luary Carolina Martínez-Chavarría
- Departamento de Patología, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Coyoacán 04510, Mexico;
| | - Juan Xicohtencatl-Cortes
- Laboratorio de Bacteriología Intestinal, Hospital Infantil de México Dr. Federico Gómez, Cuauhtémoc 06720, Mexico;
| | - Monika Fida
- European Women’s Dermatologic and Venereologic Society, 36700 Tui, Spain;
- Dermatology Department, Medical University of Tirana, U.M.T., 1001 Tirana, Albania
| | - Erick Martinez-Herrera
- Fundación Vithas, Grupo Hospitalario Vithas, 28043 Madrid, Spain;
- European Women’s Dermatologic and Venereologic Society, 36700 Tui, Spain;
- Psychodermatology Task Force of the Ibero-Latin American College of Dermatology (CILAD), Buenos Aires C1091, Argentina
- Sección de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Plan de San Luis y Díaz Mirón, Ciudad de México 11340, Mexico
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Guevara A, Vicente VA, de Souza Lima BJF, Nery AF, Hagen F, Hahn RC. Chromoblastomycosis-Leprosy Co-Infection in Central West Brazil. Presentation of Three Cases and Literature Review. Mycopathologia 2022; 187:363-374. [PMID: 35764905 PMCID: PMC9325793 DOI: 10.1007/s11046-022-00646-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Chromoblastomycosis and leprosy are chronic diseases with high prevalence in tropical and subtropical regions. Brazil is one of the countries with the highest incidence and prevalence for both diseases, however, reports of co-infections are scarce. The aim of this study was to describe three cases of chromoblastomycosis-leprosy co-infection in patients from Mato Grosso state, Brazil. A review of chromoblastomycosis-leprosy co-infection was performed of English, Portuguese and Spanish publications in LILACS, SciELO, PubMed and Web of Science databases using the descriptors (chromoblastomycosis OR cromoblastomicose OR cromoblastomicosis) AND (leprosy OR hanseníase OR lepra), without time period delimitation. Nineteen cases were included, 16 cases were published in 11 articles, plus the three cases reported in the current study. Most reported coninfection cases came from Brazil. Majority of the patients were male with a mean age of 52.2 years. Farmer was the main occupational activity reported. In 12 patients, the clinical signs and symptoms of leprosy started first. No contacts with patients affected by leprosy, armadillos or history of injuries at the anatomical site of chromoblastomycosis lesions were reported. Five leprosy patients who received steroid treatment for leprosy reactions or neuropathies, were diagnosed with chromoblastomycosis during immunosuppressive therapy. Four cases (21.1%) were reported among the elderly patients. Co-infections in patients with chromoblastomycosis or leprosy are uncommon, but the possibility should always be considered, especially if the patient is undergoing immunosuppressive treatment or is elder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armando Guevara
- Laboratory of Mycology/Research, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil
| | - Vânia Aparecida Vicente
- Microbiology, Parasitology and Pathology Post-Graduation Program, Department of Pathology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Bruna Jacomel F de Souza Lima
- Microbiology, Parasitology and Pathology Post-Graduation Program, Department of Pathology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Andréia Ferreira Nery
- Júlio Muller University Hospital - Ebserh, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil
| | - Ferry Hagen
- Department of Medical Mycology, Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584CT, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Rosane Christine Hahn
- Laboratory of Mycology/Research, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil.
- Júlio Muller University Hospital - Ebserh, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil.
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Li M, Huang H, Liu J, Zhang X, Li Q, Li D, Luo M, Wang X, Zeng W, Sun J, Liu H, Xi L. Deletion C-terminal thioesterase abolishes melanin biosynthesis, affects metabolism and reduces the pathogenesis of Fonsecaea monophora. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022; 16:e0010485. [PMID: 35696422 PMCID: PMC9255740 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Dematiaceous Fonsecaea monophora is one of the major pathogens of chromoblastomycosis. It has been well established that melanization is catalyzed by the type I polyketide synthase (PKS) in F. monophora. Multidomain protein Type I PKS is encoded by six genes, in which the last enzyme thioesterase (TE) catalyzes the cyclization and releases polyketide. Two PKS genes AYO21_03016 (pks1) and AYO21_10638 have been found in F. monophora and both PKS loci have the same gene arrangement but the TE domain in AYO21_10638 is truncated at 3’- end. TE may be the key enzyme to maintain the function of pks1. To test this hypothesis, we constructed a 3’-end 500 bp deletion mutant of AYO21_03016 (Δpks1-TE-C500) and its complemented strain. We profiled metabolome of this mutant and analyzed the consequences of impaired metabolism in this mutant by fungal growth in vitro and by pathogenesis in vivo. Compared with wild-type strain, we found that the mutant repressed pks1 expression and other 5 genes expression levels were reduced by more than 50%, perhaps leading to a corresponding melanin loss. The mutant also reduced sporulation and delayed germination, became vulnerable to various environmental stresses and was less resistance to macrophage or neutrophil killings in vitro, and less virulence in mice footpad model. Metabolomic analysis indicated that many metabolites were remarkably affected in Δpks1-TE-C500, in particular, an increased nicotinamide and antioxidant glutathione. In conclusion, we confirmed the crucial role of C-terminal TE in maintaining fully function of pks1 in F. monophora. Deletion of TE negatively impacts on the synthesis of melanin and metabolites that eventually affect growth and virulence of F. monophora. Any potential inhibitor of TE then could be a novel antifungal target for drug development. F. monophora is a fungal pathogen that causes chromoblastomycosis. Melanin of F. monophora was synthesized through PKS in which TE is the last enzyme to catalyze the cyclization and release polyketide. Few studies have investigated the effect of TE on the metabolism and pathogenesis of F. monophora. In this study, TE deletion leads to albino phenotype, decreases the expression of other domains of the pks1, and reduces biosynthesis of metabolites. The Δpks1-TE-C500 strain exhibits a changed morphogenesis and becomes less resistant to various environmental stresses. In vitro study, the Δpks1-TE-C500 strain is avirulent and less resistant to macrophages and neutrophils. In conclusion, we demonstrate that the 500 bp C-terminal of TE is essential for the function of pks1, perhaps through its effects on melanin and metabolites to regulate the growth and virulence of F. monophora. Data from this study could inspire an exploration in development of clinical therapy for CBM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minying Li
- Dermatology Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Huan Huang
- Dermatology Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jun Liu
- Dermatology Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaohui Zhang
- Dermatology Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qian Li
- Guangdong Clinical College of Dermatology, Anhui Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Dongmei Li
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
| | - Mingfen Luo
- Dermatology Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoyue Wang
- Dermatology Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Weiying Zeng
- Dermatology Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiufeng Sun
- Guangdong Provincial Institute of Public Health, Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangdong, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hongfang Liu
- Dermatology Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- * E-mail: (HL); (LX)
| | - Liyan Xi
- Dermatology Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Dermatology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
- * E-mail: (HL); (LX)
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Does DHN-Melanin Always Protect Fungi against Antifungal Drugs? The Fonsecaea/Micafungin Paradigm. MICROBIOLOGY RESEARCH 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/microbiolres13020017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Several human pathogenic fungi produce melanin. One of its properties during parasitism is the protection against antifungal drugs. This occurs with the agents of chromoblastomycosis, in which DHN-melanin reduces antifungal susceptibility to terbinafine and itraconazole. Since these agents are resistant to some antifungal drugs, we investigated the role of DHN-melanin on the Fonsecaea susceptibility to amphotericin B, micafungin, fluconazole, and flucytosine, drugs that usually present high minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) to this genus. Seven strains from three Fonsecaea human pathogenic species were treated with tricyclazole, a DHN-melanin inhibitor, and the MIC of the treated and untreated cells were compared. A survival assay was performed to confirm the alterations in the susceptibility of strains with reduced melanization, and the chitin levels of the strains were estimated by fluorescence. Tricyclazole did not affect fluconazole and flucytosine MIC, while melanin inhibition increased susceptibility to amphotericin B. Surprisingly, DHN-melanin inhibition decreased the susceptibility to micafungin. Survival assays confirmed this result on five strains. Cell wall chitin levels of the strains were not associated with the decrease in micafungin susceptibility. The results show that DHN-melanin does not have a role in the intrinsic resistance of Fonseacaea spp. to amphotericin B, fluconazole, and flucytosine, and its inhibition may promote micafungin resistance.
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Reviewing the Etiologic Agents, Microbe-Host Relationship, Immune Response, Diagnosis, and Treatment in Chromoblastomycosis. J Immunol Res 2021; 2021:9742832. [PMID: 34761009 PMCID: PMC8575639 DOI: 10.1155/2021/9742832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Chromoblastomycosis (CBM) is a neglected human disease, caused by different species of pigmented dematiaceous fungi that cause subcutaneous infections. This disease has been considered an occupational disease, occurring among people working in the field of agriculture, particularly in low-income countries. In 1914, the first case of CBM was described in Brazil, and although efforts have been made, few scientific and technological advances have been made in this area. In the field of fungi and host cell relationship, a very reduced number of antigens were characterized, but available data suggest that ectoantigens bind to the cell membrane of host cells and modulate the phagocytic, immunological, and microbicidal responses of immune cells. Furthermore, antigens cleave extracellular proteins in tissues, allowing fungi to spread. On the contrary, if phagocytic cells are able to present antigens in MHC molecules to T lymphocytes in the presence of costimulation and IL-12, a Th1 immune response will develop and a relative control of the disease will be observed. Despite knowledge of the resistance and susceptibility in CBM, up to now, no effective vaccines have been developed. In the field of chemotherapy, most patients are treated with conventional antifungal drugs, such as itraconazole and terbinafine, but these drugs exhibit limitations, considering that not all patients heal cutaneous lesions. Few advances in treatment have been made so far, but one of the most promising ones is based on the use of immunomodulators, such as imiquimod. Data about a standard treatment are missing in the medical literature; part of it is caused by the existence of a diversity of etiologic agents and clinical forms. The present review summarizes the advances made in the field of CBM related to the diversity of pathogenic species, fungi and host cell relationship, antigens, innate and acquired immunity, clinical forms of CBM, chemotherapy, and diagnosis.
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Neutrophil-suppressive activity over T-cell proliferation and fungal clearance in a murine model of Fonsecaea pedrosoi infection. Sci Rep 2021; 11:20220. [PMID: 34642440 PMCID: PMC8511260 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-99847-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Neutrophils are essential to control several fungal infections. These cells are commonly known for their pro-inflammatory activities. However, some studies have demonstrated the anti-inflammatory properties of neutrophils during certain infectious diseases, culminating in the inhibition of T cell proliferation. Chromoblastomycosis (CBM) is a deep and progressive mycosis that affects thousands of people worldwide. Although neutrophil infiltrates are observed in the lesion histopathology, the fungus can overtake the immune system response and destroy the host-infected tissue. The present study demonstrated that neutropenic animals had an increase in the IL-6 production in the spleen and liver, followed by a lower fungal burden in these organs up to 14 days of infection. Neutropenic animals also showed a lower F. pedrosoi-specific antibody production 14-days post infection and higher T-cell proliferation in the in vitro experiments after stimulation with F. pedrosoi-purified proteins. Taken together, our results suggest that the presence of regulatory neutrophils in the mouse model of F. pedrosoi infection could act favoring the spread of the fungus and the chronicity of the infection. These findings shed light on the CBM treatment, which might target neutrophil polarization as a new therapy approach to treat CBM lesions.
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