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JFMS Open Reports 2023Feline sino-nasal aspergillosis is a rare condition with only sparse heterogeneous reports in the literature regarding its treatment. This report describes the...
CASE SUMMARY
Feline sino-nasal aspergillosis is a rare condition with only sparse heterogeneous reports in the literature regarding its treatment. This report describes the presentation, treatment and outcome of a cat with sino-nasal aspergillosis treated by meticulous debridement in combination with topical and systemic azole therapy. Diagnosis was based on MRI, in combination with rhinoscopic assessment and visualisation of fungal plaques, followed by histopathology, fungal culture and panfungal PCR. The cat was treated by debridement of fungal plaques via anterior rhinoscopy and frontal sinusotomy and local instillation of 1% clotrimazole solution, followed by a 4-week course of oral itraconazole. Histopathology confirmed fungal rhinitis and culture identified and . Clinical remission was achieved after treatment; however, evidence of persistent infection was confirmed in the post-mortem examination 8 months after the cat was euthanased for unrelated reasons.
RELEVANCE AND NOVEL INFORMATION
Despite clinical remission, the persistence of fungal infection post mortem highlights the challenges of monitoring the response to treatment and illustrates that the resolution of clinical signs does not necessarily equate with a disease cure.
PubMed: 37799297
DOI: 10.1177/20551169231201605 -
Applied and Environmental Microbiology Aug 2017Many fungi can develop on building material in indoor environments if the moisture level is high enough. Among species that are frequently observed, some are known to be...
Many fungi can develop on building material in indoor environments if the moisture level is high enough. Among species that are frequently observed, some are known to be potent mycotoxin producers. This presence of toxinogenic fungi in indoor environments raises the question of the possible exposure of occupants to these toxic compounds by inhalation after aerosolization. This study investigated mycotoxin production by , , and during their growth on wallpaper and the possible subsequent aerosolization of produced mycotoxins from contaminated substrates. We demonstrated that mycophenolic acid, sterigmatocystin, and macrocyclic trichothecenes (sum of 4 major compounds) could be produced at levels of 1.8, 112.1, and 27.8 mg/m, respectively, on wallpaper. Moreover, part of the produced toxins could be aerosolized from the substrate. The propensity for aerosolization differed according to the fungal species. Thus, particles were aerosolized from wallpaper contaminated with when an air velocity of just 0.3 m/s was applied, whereas required an air velocity of 5.9 m/s. was intermediate, since aerosolization occurred under an air velocity of 2 m/s. Quantification of the toxic content revealed that toxic load was mostly associated with particles of size ≥3 μm, which may correspond to spores. However, some macrocyclic trichothecenes (especially satratoxin H and verrucarin J) can also be found on smaller particles that can deeply penetrate the respiratory tract upon inhalation. These elements are important for risk assessment related to moldy environments. The possible colonization of building material by toxinogenic fungi in cases of moistening raises the question of the subsequent exposure of occupants to aerosolized mycotoxins. In this study, we demonstrated that three different toxinogenic species produce mycotoxins during their development on wallpaper. These toxins can subsequently be aerosolized, at least partly, from moldy material. This transfer to air requires air velocities that can be encountered under real-life conditions in buildings. Most of the aerosolized toxic load is found in particles whose size corresponds to spores or mycelium fragments. However, some toxins were also found on particles smaller than spores that are easily respirable and can deeply penetrate the human respiratory tract. All of these data are important for risk assessment related to fungal contamination of indoor environments.
PubMed: 28646113
DOI: 10.1128/AEM.01001-17 -
BMC Microbiology Apr 2017Indoor air pollution caused by fungal contamination is suspected to have a public health impact. Monitoring of the composition of the indoor airborne fungal contaminants...
BACKGROUND
Indoor air pollution caused by fungal contamination is suspected to have a public health impact. Monitoring of the composition of the indoor airborne fungal contaminants is therefore important. To avoid problems linked to culture-dependent protocols, molecular methods are increasingly being proposed as an alternative. Among these molecular methods, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the real-time PCR are the most frequently used tools for indoor fungal detection. However, even if these tools have demonstrated their appropriate performance, some of them are not able to discriminate between species which are genetically close. A solution to this could be the use of a post-qPCR high resolution melting (HRM) analysis, which would allow the discrimination of these species based on the highly accurate determination of the difference in melting temperature of the obtained amplicon. In this study, we provide a proof-of-concept for this approach, using a dye adapted version of our previously developed qPCR SYBR®Green method to detect Aspergillus versicolor in indoor air, an important airborne fungus in terms of occurrence and cause of health problems. Despite the good performance observed for that qPCR method, no discrimination could previously be made between A. versicolor, Aspergillus creber and Aspergillus sydowii.
METHODS
In this study, we developed and evaluated an HRM assay for the discrimination between A. versicolor, Aspergillus creber and Aspergillus sydowii.
RESULTS
Using HRM analysis, the discrimination of the 3 Aspergillus species could be made. No false positive, nor false negatives were observed during the performance assessment including 20 strains of Aspergillus. The limit of detection was determined for each species i.e., 0.5 pg of gDNA for A. creber and A. sydowii, and 0.1 pg of gDNA for A. versicolor. The HRM analysis was also successfully tested on environmental samples.
CONCLUSION
We reported the development of HRM tools for the discrimination of A. versicolor, A. creber and A. sydowii. However, this study could be considered as a study case demonstrating that HRM based on existing qPCR assays, allows a more accurate identification of indoor air contaminants. This contributes to an improved insight in the diversity of indoor airborne fungi and hence, eventually in the causal link with health problems.
Topics: Air Microbiology; Air Pollution, Indoor; Aspergillus; DNA, Fungal; Environmental Monitoring; Fungi; Humans; Limit of Detection; Proof of Concept Study; Public Health; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; Sensitivity and Specificity
PubMed: 28376723
DOI: 10.1186/s12866-017-0996-4 -
The Journal of International Medical... Apr 2024Blood-disseminated spondylitis in immunocompetent individuals is rare. The clinical, imaging, and pathological manifestations of this condition are not specific.... (Review)
Review
Blood-disseminated spondylitis in immunocompetent individuals is rare. The clinical, imaging, and pathological manifestations of this condition are not specific. Therefore, this disease is prone to misdiagnosis and a missed diagnosis. Systemic antifungal therapy is the main treatment for spondylitis. We report a case of blood-disseminated spondylitis in a patient with normal immune function. The first antifungal treatment lasted for 4 months, but spondylitis recurred a few months later. A second antifungal treatment course was initiated for at least 1 year, and follow-up has been ongoing. Currently, there has been no recurrence.
Topics: Humans; Antifungal Agents; Aspergillosis; Aspergillus; Spondylarthritis; Spondylitis
PubMed: 38597095
DOI: 10.1177/03000605241234574 -
Food Microbiology Feb 2023This study aimed to isolate and identify fungal species involved in sliced bread spoilage, and to evaluate their susceptibility to antifungal proteins of fungal origin...
This study aimed to isolate and identify fungal species involved in sliced bread spoilage, and to evaluate their susceptibility to antifungal proteins of fungal origin (AFPs). Proteins include PdAfpB from Penicillium digitatum and PeAfpA, PeAfpB and PeAfpC from Penicillium expansum. Based on morphological criteria, a group of sixteen fungal isolates were selected and subsequently identified at the species level using sequence analysis. Penicillium species, the predominant mycobiota, were identified based on a combined phylogenetic analysis using ITS and β-tubulin sequences, being P. roqueforti, P. brevicompactum, P. chrysogenum and P. crustosum the most abundant species. Aspergillus versicolor, Aspergillus niger and Bissochlamys spectabilis were also identified. Regarding the antifungal activity of AFPs, PdAfpB and PeAfpA were the most potent proteins since the growth of most of tested fungi was completely inhibited by concentrations ranging from 2 to 32 μg/mL. PeAfpB showed moderate antifungal activity, whereas PeAfpC was the least active protein. The best in vitro AFPs, PdAfpB and PeAfpA, were also evaluated in in situ protection assays against P. roqueforti. PdAfpB provoked a clear reduction of P. roqueforti growth in sliced bread samples, suggesting that this AFP has a protective effect on bread. This study underlines the potential of the AFPs tested, in particular PdAfpB, as alternative antifungal agents for extending sliced bread shelf life.
Topics: Bread; Antifungal Agents; Phylogeny; Penicillium; Aspergillus niger; Fungi
PubMed: 36309457
DOI: 10.1016/j.fm.2022.104142 -
Effect of Culture Conditions of Endophytic Fungi on Yield and Anticancer and Antioxidant Activities.International Journal of Environmental... Feb 2023Culture conditions affect the production of secondary metabolites in endophytic fungi. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the yield and anticancer...
Culture conditions affect the production of secondary metabolites in endophytic fungi. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the yield and anticancer and antioxidant activity of endophytic fungi extracts from the cactus , under different culture conditions. The strains , , and sp. were fermented in different culture media (potato dextrose agar, Czapeck broth, and malt broth), types of inoculums (spore or mycelium), and shaking conditions (150 rpm or static) for one week. Methanol extracts were obtained from mycelia, which was followed by determining their yields and evaluating their effect on L5178Y-R murine lymphoma cells growth and human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) viability, using the 3-[4,5dimethylthiazol-2-yl]2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide reduction colorimetric assay. In addition, antioxidant activity was determined by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl test. We determined the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC) values of tumor cell growth inhibition, the selectivity index (SI), and the antioxidant activity, as compared with the healthy cells control. The best yields were obtained with the Czapeck broth medium in all the evaluated strains, reaching values of 50.3%. Of the 48 extracts evaluated, only seven significantly ( < 0.01) inhibited tumor cell growth (IC < 250 µg/mL). extract showed the highest anticancer activity, after culturing spores (IC = 49.62 µg/mL; SI = 15.8) or mycelium (IC = 69.67 µg/mL; SI = 12.2) in malt broth, under static conditions. Extracts did not present significant antioxidant activity. In conclusion, we showed that culture conditions influenced the anticancer activity of endophytic fungi.
Topics: Humans; Animals; Mice; Antioxidants; Leukocytes, Mononuclear; Fungi; Culture Media
PubMed: 36900961
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20053948 -
F1000Research 2021: Metagenomic sequencing has the potential to identify a wide range of pathogens in human tissue samples. Sarcoidosis is a complex disorder whose etiology remains...
: Metagenomic sequencing has the potential to identify a wide range of pathogens in human tissue samples. Sarcoidosis is a complex disorder whose etiology remains unknown and for which a variety of infectious causes have been hypothesized. We sought to conduct metagenomic sequencing on cases of ocular and periocular sarcoidosis, none of them with previously identified infectious causes. : Archival tissue specimens of 16 subjects with biopsies of ocular and periocular tissues that were positive for non-caseating granulomas were used as cases. Four archival tissue specimens that did not demonstrate non-caseating granulomas were also included as controls. Genomic DNA was extracted from tissue sections. DNA libraries were generated from the extracted genomic DNA and the libraries underwent next-generation sequencing. : We generated between 4.8 and 20.7 million reads for each of the 16 cases plus four control samples. For eight of the cases, we identified microbial pathogens that were present well above the background, with one potential pathogen identified for seven of the cases and two possible pathogens for one of the cases. Five of the eight cases were associated with bacteria ( and ), two cases with fungi ( ) and one case with a virus (Mupapillomavirus 1). Interestingly, four of the five bacterial species are also part of the human oral microbiome. : Using a metagenomic sequencing we identified possible infectious causes in half of the ocular and periocular sarcoidosis cases analyzed. Our findings support the proposition that sarcoidosis could be an etiologically heterogenous disease. Because these are previously banked samples, direct follow-up in the respective patients is impossible, but these results suggest that sequencing may be a valuable tool in better understanding the etiopathogenesis of sarcoidosis and in diagnosing and treating this disease.
Topics: Bacteria; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; Humans; Metagenome; Metagenomics; Microbiota; Sarcoidosis
PubMed: 36212901
DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.55090.1 -
Environmental Research Jan 2023Pigeon breeding is associated with exposure to airborne microorganisms and endotoxin and with symptoms of the airways. Antibiotic resistance is a threat to human health....
Pigeon breeding is associated with exposure to airborne microorganisms and endotoxin and with symptoms of the airways. Antibiotic resistance is a threat to human health. Some pigeons participate in national and international indoor exhibitions. This study aims to obtain knowledge about the potential human exposure to dust, endotoxin, fungi, and bacteria including the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in a pigeon exhibition in Denmark. In walking areas for visitors, airborne microorganisms in different size fractions able to enter the airways were sampled and following identified. The average concentrations were: 5000 cfu fungi/m, 1.8 × 10 cfu bacteria/m, 37 endotoxin units/m, and 0.18 mg dust/m air with the highest concentrations in-between rows with pigeon cages. The fungal species Wallemia sp. and Aspergillus versicolor and the bacterial species S. equorum and S. aureus were found in high concentrations. MRSA spa type t034 described to be associated with livestock was found in the air. Most of the S. aureus was present in the size fraction of 1.1-2.1 μm, which are particles able to enter the human terminal bronchi. In conclusion, fungi, bacteria, and endotoxin, respectively, were found in concentrations 10, 2000, and 200 times higher than outdoor references. The airborne bacteria in the exhibition were mainly species found previously in pigeon coops showing that the pigeons are the sources of exposure. The presence of airborne MRSA in the pigeon exhibition highlights the importance of also considering this environment as a potential place of exchange of resistant bacteria between animals and between animals and humans.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Dust; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus; Columbidae; Endotoxins; Staphylococcus aureus; Occupational Exposure; Bacteria; Fungi; Air Microbiology
PubMed: 36306875
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114642 -
Botanical Studies May 2022Potato taste defect (PTD) of coffee is characterized by a raw potato like smell that leads to a lower quality taste in the brewed coffee, and harms the commercial value...
BACKGROUND
Potato taste defect (PTD) of coffee is characterized by a raw potato like smell that leads to a lower quality taste in the brewed coffee, and harms the commercial value of some East African coffees. Although several causes for PTD have been proposed, none of them have been confirmed. Recently, high throughput sequencing techniques and bioinformatic analysis have shown great potential for identifying putative causal agents of plant diseases. Toward the goal of determining the cause of PTD, we examined raw coffee beans from Rwanda exhibiting varying PTD scores using an Illumina-based sequence analysis of the fungal rRNA ITS region.
RESULTS
Six fungal amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) with high relative abundances correlated with coffee taste scores. Four of these ASVs exhibited negative correlations - Aspergillus versicolor, Penicillium cinnamopurpureum, Talaromyces radicus, and Thermomyces lanuginosus - indicating that they might be causing PTD. Two of these fungi exhibited positive correlations - Kazachstania humilis and Clavispora lusitaniae - indicating that they might be inhibiting organisms that cause PTD.
CONCLUSIONS
This study addressed PTD causality from a new angle by examining fungi with high throughput sequencing. To our knowledge, this is the first study characterizing fungi associated with PTD, providing candidates for both causality and biocontrol.
PubMed: 35604510
DOI: 10.1186/s40529-022-00346-9 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2020Filamentous fungi are important organisms in traditionally prepared amylase and alcohol-producing dry starters in India. We collected 40 diverse types of amylase and...
Filamentous fungi are important organisms in traditionally prepared amylase and alcohol-producing dry starters in India. We collected 40 diverse types of amylase and alcohol-producing starters from eight states in North East India viz. , , , , , , , and . The average fungal population was 4.9 × 10 cfu/g with an average of pH 5.3 and 10.7%, respectively. In the present study, 131 fungal isolates were isolated and characterized based on macroscopic and microscopic characteristics and were grouped into 44 representative fungal strains. Based on results of morphological characteristics and ITS gene sequencing, 44 fungal strains were grouped into three phyla represented by Ascomycota (48%), Mucoromycota (38%), and Basidiomycota (14%). Taxonomical keys to species level was illustrated on the basis of morphological characteristics and ITS gene sequencing, aligned to the fungal database of NCBI GenBank, which showed seven genera with 16 species represented by (20%), (11%), (11%), (11%), (7%), (7%), (5%), (5%), (5%) (5%), (2%), (2%), (2%), (2%), (2%), and (2%). The highest Shannon diversity index was recorded in of Sikkim (: 1.74) and the lowest in of Manipur (: 0.69). Fungal species present in these amylolytic starters are morphologically, ecologically and phylogenetically diverse and showed high diversity within the community.
PubMed: 32547501
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.00905