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PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases Aug 2021Chromoblastomycosis (CBM), represents one of the primary implantation mycoses caused by melanized fungi widely found in nature. It is characterized as a Neglected...
BACKGROUND
Chromoblastomycosis (CBM), represents one of the primary implantation mycoses caused by melanized fungi widely found in nature. It is characterized as a Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) and mainly affects populations living in poverty with significant morbidity, including stigma and discrimination.
METHODS AND FINDINGS
In order to estimate the global burden of CBM, we retrospectively reviewed the published literature from 1914 to 2020. Over the 106-year period, a total of 7,740 patients with CBM were identified on all continents except Antarctica. Most of the cases were reported from South America (2,619 cases), followed by Africa (1,875 cases), Central America and Mexico (1,628 cases), Asia (1,390 cases), Oceania (168 cases), Europe (35 cases), and USA and Canada (25 cases). We described 4,022 (81.7%) male and 896 (18.3%) female patients, with the median age of 52.5 years. The average time between the onset of the first lesion and CBM diagnosis was 9.2 years (range between 1 month to 50 years). The main sites involved were the lower limbs (56.7%), followed by the upper limbs (19.9%), head and neck (2.9%), and trunk (2.4%). Itching and pain were reported by 21.5% and 11%, respectively. Malignant transformation was described in 22 cases. A total of 3,817 fungal isolates were cultured, being 3,089 (80.9%) Fonsecaea spp., 552 (14.5%) Cladophialophora spp., and 56 Phialophora spp. (1.5%).
CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE
This review represents our current knowledge on the burden of CBM world-wide. The global incidence remains unclear and local epidemiological studies are required to improve these data, especially in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The recognition of CBM as NTD emphasizes the need for public health efforts to promote support for all local governments interested in developing specific policies and actions for preventing, diagnosing and assisting patients.
Topics: Ascomycota; Chromoblastomycosis; Fonsecaea; Global Burden of Disease; Humans; Phialophora
PubMed: 34383752
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009611 -
Journal of Fungi (Basel, Switzerland) Jan 2021Chromoblastomycosis is a chronic severely mutilating disease caused by fungi of the order . Classically, has been listed among these etiologic agents. This species is...
Chromoblastomycosis is a chronic severely mutilating disease caused by fungi of the order . Classically, has been listed among these etiologic agents. This species is known to occur in the environment and has been found to cause other infections like phaeohyphomycosis, while reported cases of chromoblastomycosis are scant. is phylogenetically diverse, and thus retrospective confirmation of etiology is necessary. We studied ten proven cases of chromoblastomycosis from Mexico and further analyzed the population genetics and genomics of the species to understand their pathogenicity and predilection. The clinical strains were molecularly identified as ( = 4), ( = 4), and ( = 2). No genetic distinction between clinical and environmental strains was possible. Further analysis of strains from diverse origins are needed to address eventual differences in virulence and niche predilection between the species.
PubMed: 33572699
DOI: 10.3390/jof7020095 -
Journal of Clinical Microbiology Jan 2020
PubMed: 31992652
DOI: 10.1128/JCM.01657-18 -
Retinal Cases & Brief Reports May 2023To report a rare case of a subretinal Phialophora richardsiae abscess in a patient with chronic granulomatous disease (CGD).
PURPOSE
To report a rare case of a subretinal Phialophora richardsiae abscess in a patient with chronic granulomatous disease (CGD).
METHODS
A 21-year-old male with CGD and a history of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis presented with progressive loss of vision and pain in his left eye. He was found to have a subretinal abscess with a macula involving serous retinal detachment. A diagnostic and therapeutic pars plana vitrectomy, subretinal biopsy with debridment, inferior retinectomy and silicone oil tamponade was performed. Intraoperative cultures grew Pleurostoma (Phialophora) richardsiae. He was treated with systemic liposomal amphotericin B and high-dose Posaconazole. However, eye eventually required enucleation.
RESULTS
Preoperative visual acuity (VA) was light perception on the left eye and improved to count fingers at 4 weeks post-operative. However, VA rapidly declined to light perception, he developed an opaque white cataract, iris neovascularization, posterior synechiae, and corectopia. The retina remained attached under silicone oil. Histopathology revealed granuloma formation and active fungal elements.
DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION
The case supports the importance of vitreoretinal surgery to determine a definitive systemic diagnosis. Treatment of Phialophora infection is surgically challenging to manage and has a poor visual prognosis in patients with CGD.
PubMed: 37267629
DOI: 10.1097/ICB.0000000000001442 -
Acta Cytologica 2020Phaeohyphomycosis caused by phaeoid fungi is a type of mycosis emerging worldwide which causes a wide variety of clinical manifestations.
OBJECTIVE
Phaeohyphomycosis caused by phaeoid fungi is a type of mycosis emerging worldwide which causes a wide variety of clinical manifestations.
STUDY DESIGN
A retrospective analysis of 11 cases diagnosed with fungal inflammation on cytology over a period of 6 years (2013-2018) was done along with culture/histopathologic confirmation.
RESULTS
Of the total of 11 cases, 9 cases presented with subcutaneous swellings and 1 case each with brain and lung lesions. The age range was 30-83 years (mean: 53.6); 8 patients were male and 3 were female. Cytologic smears showed fungal profiles with septate tortuous hyphae, as well as swollen and narrow, yeast-like swellings with an irregular breadth of the hyphae in all cases. The fungal profiles were visualized on a Masson-Fontana stain. The background showed inflammatory cells, giant cells, and necrosis in variable proportions. Five cases were diagnosed as phaeohyphomycosis on cytology, whereas 3 cases were misdiagnosed as aspergillus and 2 as candida. In 1 case, typing of the fungus was not done. Histopathology was available in 5 cases, and in all these a diagnosis of phaeohyphomycosis was reached. Ten of the 11 cases had confirmation on fungal culture.
CONCLUSIONS
Phaeoid fungi are rarely seen in routine cytologic practice. Careful evaluation of cytologic smears and an awareness of the characteristic morphologic features of phaeohyphomycosis are helpful in arriving at a correct diagnosis. Fine needle aspiration cytology provides a rapid diagnosis, enabling prompt therapy.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Cytodiagnosis; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Phaeohyphomycosis; Phialophora; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 32203955
DOI: 10.1159/000506432 -
Mycoses May 2021Black opportunists Phialophora verrucosa complex species can cause different disease types in competent and in immunocompromised individuals, but are remarkably...
BACKGROUND
Black opportunists Phialophora verrucosa complex species can cause different disease types in competent and in immunocompromised individuals, but are remarkably overrepresented in CARD9-related infections.
OBJECTIVES
To better understand the ecology and potential pathogenicity of opportunistic Phialophora species and reveal eventual genetic parameters associated with the behaviour in vivo and genetic profiles in patients with CARD9 immunodeficiency.
METHODS
Genomes of 26 strains belonging to six species of the Phialophora verrucosa complex were sequenced. Using multilocus analysis, all environmental and clinical strains were identified correctly. We compared the genomes of agents from different disease types among each other including CARD9 immunodeficiency.
RESULTS
We obtained genome sizes of the 26 Phialophora strains ranged between 32 and 37 MB. Some species showed considerable intraspecific genomic variation. P americana showed the highest degree of variability. P verrucosa was variable in CAZy enzymes, whereas P americana varied in PKS-related genes. Phialophora species, particularly P verrucosa, are relatively frequent in patients with CARD9-related immunodeficiency. Different mutations in the CARD9 gene seem to increase susceptibility for infection by different groups of species, that is either Candida, dermatophytes or black fungi. A number of patients with chromoblastomycosis revealed an as yet unknown CARD9 mutation. TNFα impairment was prevalent in patients with CARD9 infections, while CBM patients were invariably IFNγ.
CONCLUSIONS
From genomic investigations, the known virulence factors between clinical and environmental strains did not reveal any significant difference. Phialophora complex has an equal chance to cause infection in humans, either healthy or CARD9-impaired.
Topics: CARD Signaling Adaptor Proteins; Candidiasis; Chromoblastomycosis; Fungal Proteins; Genome, Fungal; Genomics; Humans; Immunocompromised Host; Opportunistic Infections; Phaeohyphomycosis; Phialophora; Phylogeny
PubMed: 33455056
DOI: 10.1111/myc.13244 -
American Journal of Ophthalmology Case... Mar 2023To report the initial case of microbial keratitis caused by , a rare cause of fungal keratitis.
PURPOSE
To report the initial case of microbial keratitis caused by , a rare cause of fungal keratitis.
OBSERVATIONS
A 66-year-old gentleman with a complex right eye (OD) ocular history including herpes simplex virus infectious epithelial keratitis with subsequent neurotrophic keratopathy, and prior combined and fungal keratitis presented with pain OD in the absence of an antecedent trauma. The patient was found to have a filamentous fungal keratitis, which was subsequently cultured and identified as by the laboratory. Despite topical and oral antifungal treatment based on sensitivities determined by the lab, the patient ultimately required intrastromal and subconjunctival antifungal injections, corneal crosslinking, and superficial keratectomy with amniotic membrane to clinically improve. The fungal keratitis recurred twice, with each occurrence rapidly progressing to corneal perforation. Months after the second penetrating keratoplasty, the patient's mental status declined due to multiorgan failure. An occult pulmonary malignancy was discovered during this hospital stay, and the patient was lost to follow-up after entering hospice.
CONCLUSIONS AND IMPORTANCE
We report a unique case of fungal keratitis caused by and the subsequent management, including both medical and surgical interventions Despite a multimodal treatment regimen, this case demonstrates the recalcitrant and potentially recurrent nature of fungal keratitis caused by .
PubMed: 36714019
DOI: 10.1016/j.ajoc.2023.101800 -
Journal of Agricultural and Food... Feb 2020The mycotoxin zearalenone (ZEN) is a secondary metabolite produced mainly by Fusarium species. ZEN poses health hazards both for humans and animals, as a major...
The mycotoxin zearalenone (ZEN) is a secondary metabolite produced mainly by Fusarium species. ZEN poses health hazards both for humans and animals, as a major contaminant in the food and feed industries. Currently, there is no effective technique for degrading ZEN during industrial processes. In this study, we isolated and biochemically characterized a novel lactone hydrolase, ZHD607, isolated from , cloned, and exogenously expressed in . ZHD607 was characterized as a mesophilic lactone hydrolase having a neutral pH and showing optimal activity at 35 °C and pH 8.0. Two mutants, ZHDM1 and I160Y, generated from ZHD607 based on structure and sequence alignment analyses, exhibited 2.9- and 3.4-fold higher activity towards ZEN than did ZHD607. Molecular dynamics simulation revealed diverse mechanisms driving this improved catalytic activity. These findings enrich our knowledge about ZHD enzyme family and represent an important step toward industrialization of ZEN-detoxifying lactone hydrolases.
Topics: Biocatalysis; DNA Mutational Analysis; Enzyme Stability; Fungal Proteins; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Hydrolases; Lactones; Molecular Dynamics Simulation; Mutation; Phialophora; Zearalenone
PubMed: 31760747
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.9b05853 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2022is a neotenic cave salamander, endemic to the Dinaric Karst and a symbol of world natural heritage. It is classified as "vulnerable" by the International Union for...
is a neotenic cave salamander, endemic to the Dinaric Karst and a symbol of world natural heritage. It is classified as "vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and is one of the EU priority species in need of strict protection. Due to inaccessibility of their natural underground habitat, scientific studies of the olm have been conducted mainly in captivity, where the amphibians are particularly susceptible to opportunistic microbial infections. In this report, we focused on the diversity of cultivable commensal fungi isolated from the skin of asymptomatic and symptomatic animals obtained from nature (20 specimens) and captivity (22 specimens), as well as from underground water of two karstic caves by direct water filtration and by exposure of keratin-based microbial baits and subsequent isolation from them. In total 244 fungal isolates were recovered from the animals and additional 153 isolates were obtained from water samples. Together, these isolates represented 87 genera and 166 species. Symptomatic animals were colonized by a variety of fungal species, most of them represented by a single isolate, including genera known for their involvement in chromomycosis, phaeohyphomycosis and zygomycosis in amphibians: , , , , , , , and . One symptomatic specimen sampled from nature was infected by the oomycete , the known causative agent of saprolegniosis. This is the first comprehensive report on cultivable skin mycobiome of this unique amphibian in nature and in captivity, with an emphasis on potentially pathogenic fungi and oomycetes.
PubMed: 35910647
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.926558 -
Persoonia Jun 2023Black yeasts comprise a group of of the order with highly variable morphology, a great diversity of ecological niches and life cycles. Despite the ubiquity of these...
Black yeasts comprise a group of of the order with highly variable morphology, a great diversity of ecological niches and life cycles. Despite the ubiquity of these fungi, their diversity in freshwater sediments is still poorly understood. During a survey of culturable from river and stream sediments in various sampling sites in Spain, we obtained 47 isolates of black yeasts by using potato dextrose agar supplemented with cycloheximide. A preliminary morphological study and sequence analyses of the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) and the large subunit (LSU) of the nuclear rDNA revealed that most of the isolates belonged to the family . We have confidently identified 30 isolates representing the following species: , , , , , and . However, we encountered difficulty in assigning 17 cultures to any known species within . Combining phenotypic and multi-locus phylogenetic analyses based on the ITS, LSU, β-tubulin (2) and translation elongation factor 1-α (1-α) gene markers, we propose the new genus in the to accommodate the novel species . Other novel species in this family include , , , , , , and . The new species , closely related to , is described, and the phylogeny of the genus in the family is discussed. By utilizing these four markers, we were able to strengthen the phylogenetic resolution and provide more robust taxonomic assessments within the studied group. Our findings indicate that freshwater sediments may serve as a reservoir for intriguing black yeasts, which warrant further investigation to address gaps in phylogenetic relationships, particularly within . : Torres-Garcia D, García D, Réblová M, et al. 2023. Diversity and novel lineages of black yeasts in Chaetothyriales from freshwater sediments in Spain. Persoonia 51: 194-228. doi: 10.3767/persoonia.2023.51.05.
PubMed: 38665982
DOI: 10.3767/persoonia.2023.51.05