First report of tinea corporis caused by Trichophyton quinckeanum in Iran and its antifungal susceptibility profile

Background and Purpose

Trichophyton quinckeanum, a known zoophilic dermatophyte responsible for favus form in rodents and camels, is occasionally reported to cause human infections.

Case Report

This study aimed to report a case of tinea corporis caused by T. quinckeanum that experienced annular erythematous pruritic plaque with abundant purulent secretions. In June 2021, a 15-year-old girl with an erythematous cup shape lesion on the right wrist bigger than 3 cm in diameter was examined for tinea corporis. Since March, 2016 her family has kept several camels at home. Direct examination of skin scraping and purulent exudates revealed branching septal hyaline hyphae and arthrospore. Morphological evaluation of the recovered isolate from the culture and sequencing of ITS1-5.8S rDNA-ITS2 region resulted in the identification of T. quinckeanum. Antifungal susceptibility testing showed that this isolate had low minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values for luliconazole, terbinafine, and tolnaftate, but high MICs to itraconazole, fluconazole, posaconazole, miconazole, isavuconazole, ketoconazole, clotrimazole, and griseofulvin. However, the patient was successfully treated with oral terbinafine and topical ketoconazole.

Conclusion

It can be said that T. quinckeanum is often missed or misidentified due to its morphological similarity to T. mentagrophytes/T. interdigitale or other similar species. This dermatophyte species is first reported as the cause of tinea corporis in Iran. As expected, a few months after our study, T. quinckeanum was detected in other areas of Iran, in a few cases.

The relation between serum levels of interleukin 10 and interferon-gamma with oral candidiasis in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients

BACKGROUND

Type 2 Diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is one of the most common endocrine diseases that weakens the immune system. Candida albicans, is part of the natural oral flora and increases in cases of compromised immune systems. The exact cause of the increased prevalence of candidiasis in patients with T2DM is still unclear. The study aimed to correlate serum interleukin 10 (IL-10) and interferon-gamma cytokines (IFN-γ) with oral candidiasis in T2DM.

METHODS

In this case-control study, 81 patients with T2DM and 41 non-diabetic individuals aged 30 to 70 years participated. Demographic information, a Blood sample (for blood glucose and cytokine tests), and an oral cotton swab sample from each individual were obtained. The samples were then incubated in a Sabroud dextrose agar medium. Colony growth was calculated and the type of yeast species in individuals with oral candidiasis was identified by culture in CHROMagar Candida medium. IL-10 and IFN-γ were measured by ELISA kit and the data were analyzed using SPSS-18.

RESULTS

An overall of 122 participants comprised 73.77% females and 26.22% males. An increase in interleukin-10 by 40% and a decrease in IFN-γ by 6% can increase oral candidiasis prevalence among diabetic patients. Candida albicans was the most prevalent Candida species (spp.) in the diabetic and non-diabetic groups. The presence of oral candidiasis was not associated with HbA1c or FBS levels in both groups.

CONCLUSION

In the diabetic population, an increase in IL-10 or a decrease in IFN-γ may be associated with an increased risk of oral candidiasis.

P443 Altered expression of fungal CotH, human glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78), and predicted miRNAs in macrophages and model diabetic mice infected with Rhizopus oryzae

Poster session 3, September 23, 2022, 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM

 

Objectives

Rhizopus oryzae is one of the most common causes of mucormycosis. Among the virulence factors of the Mucorales, CotH protein has recently been identified, which causes the invasion of R. oryzae into endothelial cells. In this study, we aimed to examine the reaction between GRP78 at the level of human cells and different groups of mice and CotH3 at the surface of the R. oryzae hyphae. We evaluated the relative expression of GRP78 and CotH3 genes and changes in the expression of some miRNAs that target the human GRP78 gene.

Methods

In this study, the relative changes in gene expression were studied. In three groups (1) Macrophages derived from human monocytes: monocytes from the blood of healthy donors were isolated using Ficoll and in RPMI 1640 medium containing FCS 10% and with penicillin-streptomycin after 2 weeks were differentiated into macrophages. Two groups were investigated, including control and infected with R. oryzae hyphae, for 6 and 16 hours after infection. (2) Hematogenous dissemination mucormycosis model: Seven groups of male BALb/c mice were examined in control, infected, and treated groups with Liposomal amphotericin B. (3) Human mucormycosis: in this study, two samples of patients with rhinocerebral mucormycosis with diabetes mellitus treated and untreated with liposomal amphotericin B were examined. Total RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis were performed from the studied samples. The relative expression changes of the target genes and miRNAs were evaluated using real-time PCR carried out using Sybrgreen-based detection methods.

Results

Monocyte-derived macrophages had a steady pattern in relative changes in gene expression. An increase in expression of two genes, GRP78 and CotH3, was observed in the samples, and all miRNAs targeted by the GRP78 gene included hsa - miR-16-5p; hsa -miR-335-5p and hsa -miR-93-3p showed a decreasing pattern. In the mice mucormycosis model, relative gene expression changes were observed, and mmu-miR-181b-5p showed increased expression deviation in all groups. The clinical sample of diabetic patients with untreated rhinocerebral mucormycosis also had a consistent pattern of GRP78 and CotH3 increased gene expression. The hsa-miR-16-5p and hsa-miR-335-5p have increased expression, while hsa-miR-93-3p decreased expression.

Conclusion

After validation, these micro RNAs can be used as valuable markers in mucormycosis detection and treatment processes.

Biomonitoring of Multiple Mycotoxins in Urine by GC-MS/MS: A Pilot Study on Patients with Esophageal Cancer in Golestan Province, Northeastern Iran

A pilot study to investigate the occurrence of 10 mycotoxins (deoxynivalenol, DON; 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol, 3-ADON; 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol, 15-ADON; fusarenon-X, FUS-X; diacetoxyscirpenol, DAS; nivalenol, NIV; neosolaniol, NEO; zearalenone, ZON; zearalanone, ZAN; T-2 toxin, T-2; and HT-2 toxin, HT-2) in esophageal cancer patients was performed with the urinary biomarkers approach in Golestan, Iran. Urine multimycotoxin analysis was performed by dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction and gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (GC–MS/MS) analysis, and values were normalized with urinary creatinine (μg/g). Four mycotoxins, namely NEO (40%), HT-2 (17.6%), DON (10%), and HT-2 (5.8%), were detected in the analyzed urine samples. DON was only detected in the control group (5.09 μg/g creatinine), while T-2 (44.70 μg/g creatinine) was only present in the esophageal cancer group. NEO and HT-2 were quantified in both control and case groups, showing average of positive samples of 9.09 and 10.45 μg/g creatinine for NEO and 16.81 and 29.09 μg/g creatinine for HT-2, respectively. Mycotoxin co-occurrence was observed in three samples as binary (NEO/HT-2 and T-2/HT-2) and ternary (DON/NEO/HT-2) combinations, reaching total concentrations of 44.58, 79.13, and 30.04 µg/g creatinine, respectively. Further investigations are needed to explore a causal association between mycotoxin contamination and esophageal cancer. For this pilot study in Golestan, the low sample size was a very limiting factor.

Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Inhibition of Initial Adhesion and ALS1 and ALS3 Gene Expression in Candida albicans Strains from Urinary Tract Infections

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to evaluate effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-np) on initiation adhesion and agglutinin-like sequence (ALS) 1 and ALS3 gene expression, which is the first cell surface protein known to be, required for biofilm formation in 125 Candida albicans (C. albicans) from urinary tract infections (UTIs).

METHODS

In this descriptive-analytic study, Candida UTIs was cultured from 280 women admitted in hospital Sayad Shirazi, in Northeastern Iran in the 2018 year. 125 (44.62%) of C. albicans strains were identified by phenotypic and genotypic methods. Susceptibility testing C. albicans strains were determined by the disk diffusion method. ZnO-np with 20-40 nm diameters were prepared, there were confirmed by the X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope methods.

RESULTS

115 susceptible C. albicans and 10 fluconazole-resistant C. albicans strain from UTIs were exposed to sub-minimum inhibitory concentration (Sub-MIC) of ZnO-np (range 0.02-18.1 μg/ml). Expression of the ALS1 and ALS3 genes which are affected by adhesion was evaluated by real-time PCR. One-way ANOVA test statistical analysis was performed with SPSS 16.0. The MIC range of ZnO-np was 0.05-296 µg/ml. Sub-MIC concentration ZnO-np initial adhesion inhibition, and significantly reduced ALS1 and ALS3 gene expression was observed in all strains (P < 0.05). The finding indicated that ZnO-np is effective in reduction of ALS1 and ALS3 expression in fluconazole-resistant strains.

CONCLUSIONS

Therefore, ZnO-np could be a candidate in the elimination of biofilm C. albicans strains from UTIs in medicine, particularly in medical instruments.

Mucormycosis in Iran: A six-year retrospective experience

Mucormycosis is a devastating infection caused by Mucoralean fungi (Mucormycotina, Mucorales). Data concerning the global epidemiology of mucormycosis are scarce and little is known about the characteristics of mucormycosis in Iran. In this study, we aimed to understand the distribution of this infection in Iran retrospectively and to ascertain whether the patterns of infection are associated with specific host factors or not. A total of 208 cases were included in this study occurring during 2008-2014 and were validated according to (EORTC/MSG) criteria. A rising trend as significant increase from 9.7% in 2008 to 23.7% in 2014 was observed. The majority of patients were female (51.4%) with median age of 50 and the infections were seen mostly in autumn season (39.4%). Diabetes mellitus (75.4%) was the most common underlying condition and sinus involvement (86%) was the mostly affected site of infection. Amphotericin B (AmB) was the drug of choice for the majority of cases. Sixty four isolates did not show any growth in the lab and only 21 cases were evaluated by ITS sequencing, among them; Rhizopus arrhizus var. arrhizus was the dominant species. Considering the high mortality rate of mucormycosis, early and accurate diagnosis, with the aid of molecular methods may provide accurate treatments and improve the survival rate. Therefore, increased monitoring and awareness of this life-threatening disease is critical.

Antifungal Activity and Aflatoxin Degradation of Bifidobacterium Bifidum and Lactobacillus Fermentum Against Toxigenic Aspergillus Parasiticus

Food and feedstuff contamination with aflatoxins (AFTs) is a serious health problem for humans and animals, especially in developing countries. The present study evaluated antifungal activities of two lactic acid bacteria (LAB) against growth and aflatoxin production of toxigenic Aspergillus parasiticus. The mycelial growth inhibition rate of A. parasiticus PTCC 5286 was investigated in the presence of Bifidobacterium bifidum PTCC 1644 and Lactobacillus fermentum PTCC 1744 by the pour plate method. After seven days incubation in yeast extract sucrose broth at 30°C, the mycelial mass was weighed after drying. The inhibitory activity of LAB metabolites against aflatoxin production by A. parasiticus was evaluated using HPLC method. B. bifidum and L. fermentum significantly reduced aflatoxin production and growth rate of A. parasiticus in comparison with the controls (p≤0.05). LAB reduced total aflatoxins and B₁, B₂, G₁ and G₂ fractions by more than 99%. Moreover, LAB metabolites reduced the level of standard AFB₁, B₂, G₁ and G₂ from 88.8% to 99.8% (p≤0.05). Based on these findings, B. bifidum and L. fermentum are recommended as suitable biocontrol agents against the growth and aflatoxin production by aflatoxigenic Aspergillus species.

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles: Advantages of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae model

Background and Purpose:

Microorganism-based synthesis of nanostructures has recently been noted as a green method for the sustainable development of nanotechnology. Nowadays, there have been numerous studies on the emerging resistant pathogenic bacteria and fungal isolates, the probable inability of bacteria and fungi to develop resistance against silver nanoparticles’ (SNPs) antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral and, particularly antibacterial activities. In this study, we aim to use the yeast Saccharomycescerevisiae model for synthesis of SNPs and to investigate its antifungal activity against some isolates of Candidaalbicans.

Materials and Methods:

A standard strain of S.cerevisiae was grown in liquid medium containing mineral salt; then, it was exposed to 2 mM AgNO₃. The reduction of Ag⁺ ions to metal nanoparticles was virtually investigated by tracing the color of the solution, which turned into reddish-brown after 72 hours. Further characterization of synthesized SNPs was performed afterwards. In addition, antifungal activity of synthesized SNPs was evaluated against fluconazole-susceptible and fluconazole-resistant isolates of Candidaalbicans.

Results:

The UV-vis spectra demonstrated a broad peak centering at 410 nm, which is associated with the particle sizes much less than 70 nm. The results of TEM demonstrated fairly uniform, spherical and small in size particles with almost 83.6% ranging between 5 and 20 nm. The zeta potential of SNPs was negative and equal to -25.0 (minus 25) mv suggesting that there was not much aggregation. Silver nanoparticles synthesized by S.cerevisiae, showed antifungal activity against fluconazole-susceptible and fluconazole-resistant Candida albicans isolates, and exhibited MIC₉₀ values of 2 and 4 μg/ml, respectively.

Conclusion:

The yeast S. cerevisiae model demonstrated the potential for extracellular synthesis of fairly monodisperse silver nanoparticles.

Halotolerant Ability and α-Amylase Activity of Some Saltwater Fungal Isolates

Four halotolerant fungal isolates originating from the saltwater Lake Urmia in Iran were selected during a screening program for salt resistance and α-amylase activity. The isolates were identified based on sequencing the ITS region and a part of the β-tubulin gene, as Penicillium chrysogenum (isolate U1; CBS 132820), Fusarium incarnatum (isolate U2; CBS 132821), and Penicillium polonicum (isolate U3; CBS 132822, and isolate U4; CBS 132823). The growth of these isolates was determined by measuring the colony diameter and mycelia dry weight in Sabouraud dextrose agar and yeast nitrogen base medium supplemented with NaCl, KCl, and LiCl. Isolate U4 showed a growth up in 15% NaCl and U1 was the only isolate that could grow in 20% KCl. None of the strains grew in a media containing LiCl. The salt supplemented medium did not increase the size of colony diameter in all isolates (p > 0.05). The ability of the selected isolates for amylase production was quantitatively tested and showed that P. polonicum isolate U4 was the most potent producer of amylase with a yield of 260.9 U/L after 60 h, whereas P. polonicum isolate U3 was the lowest one with a production level of 97.9 U/L after 48 h. P. polonicum isolate U4 could be a suitable candidate for production of amylase on an industrial scale after optimization.

Synthetic dye decolorization by three sources of fungal laccase

Decolorization of six synthetic dyes using three sources of fungal laccase with the origin of Aspergillus oryzae, Trametes versicolor, and Paraconiothyrium variabile was investigated. Among them, the enzyme from P. variabile was the most efficient which decolorized bromophenol blue (100%), commassie brilliant blue (91%), panseu-S (56%), Rimazol brilliant blue R (RBBR; 47%), Congo red (18.5%), and methylene blue (21.3%) after 3 h incubation in presence of hydroxybenzotriazole (HBT; 5 mM) as the laccase mediator. It was also observed that decolorization efficiency of all dyes was enhanced by increasing of HBT concentration from 0.1 mM to 5 mM. Laccase from A. oryzae was able to remove 53% of methylene blue and 26% of RBBR after 30 min incubation in absence of HBT, but the enzyme could not efficiently decolorize other dyes even in presence of 5 mM of HBT. In the case of laccase from T. versicolor, only RBBR was decolorized (93%) in absence of HBT after 3 h incubation.

Candida parapsilosis as a Potent Biocontrol Agent against Growth and Aflatoxin Production by Aspergillus Species

BACKGROUND

Aflatoxin contamination of food and feed stuff is a serious health problem and significant economic concerns. In the present study, the inhibitory effect of Candida parapsilosis IP1698 on mycelial growth and aflatoxin production in aflatoxigenic strains of Aspergillus species was investigated.

METHODS

Mycelial growth inhibitions of nine strains of aflatoxigenic and non-aflatoxigenic Aspergillus species in the presence of C. parapsilosis investigated by pour plate technique at different pH, temperature and time of incubation. Reduction of aflatoxin was evaluated in co-cultured fungi in yeast extract sucrose broth after seven days of incubation using HPLC method. The data were analyzed by SPSS 11.5.

RESULTS

The presence of the C. parapsilosis at different pH did not affect significantly the growth rate of Aspergillus isolates. On the other hand, temperature and time of incubation showed to be significantly effective when compared to controls without C. parapsilosis (P≤0.05). In aflatoxigenic strains, minimum percentage of reductions in total aflatoxin and B1, B2, G1, G2 fractions were 92.98, 92.54, 77.48, 54.54 and 72.22 and maximum percentage of reductions were 99.59, not detectable, 94.42, and not detectable in both G1 and G2, respectively.

CONCLUSION

C. parapsilosis might employ as a good biocontrol agent against growth and aflatoxin production by aflatoxigenic Aspergillus species.