-
Mycology 2024Histoplasmosis is a systemic mycosis caused by the dimorphic fungus in the genus . Histoplasmosis is overlooked in China. This study aims to provide an epidemiological... (Review)
Review
Histoplasmosis is a systemic mycosis caused by the dimorphic fungus in the genus . Histoplasmosis is overlooked in China. This study aims to provide an epidemiological and clinical update on histoplasmosis in China by literature review. We reviewed cases of histoplasmosis reported in recent 11 years and described a case of histoplasmosis-triggered hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) in an immunocompetent patient. A total of 225 cases of histoplasmosis diagnosed in China between 2012 and 2022 were involved in this study, compared with 300 cases reviewed from 1990 to 2011, an increasing number of cases of histoplasmosis have been diagnosed in the last 11 years. The majority of cases of histoplasmosis were autochthonous cases, mainly from provinces Sichuan (56/225, 24.9%), Hunan (50/225, 22.2%), Guangdong (31/225, 13.8%), and Yunnan (24/225, 10.7%). Higher incidence (52.5%, 53/99) of histoplasmosis occurred in immunocompetent patients which is similar to those from the previous 21 years, and the prevalence of the disease did not vary highly over time. Of note, the number of histoplasmosis cases is increasing, and the geographic distribution is shifting southwards over time. Improved awareness is critically important for informing clinical practice in China.
PubMed: 38558846
DOI: 10.1080/21501203.2023.2259934 -
Scientific Reports Mar 2024Historical paper documents are susceptible to complex degradation processes, including biodeterioration, which can progressively compromise their aesthetic and...
Historical paper documents are susceptible to complex degradation processes, including biodeterioration, which can progressively compromise their aesthetic and structural integrity. This study analyses seventeenth century handwritten historical letters stored at the Correr Museum Library in Venice, Italy, exhibiting pronounced signs of biodeterioration. The techniques used encompassed traditional colony isolation on agar plates and proteomics analyses, employing nanoscale liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (nano-LC-MS). Fluorescence microscopy was used for the first time in the historical paper biodeterioration context to supplement the conventional stereoscopic, optical, and scanning electron microscopic imaging techniques. This method enables the visualisation of microorganisms beyond and beneath the paper's surface through their natural intrinsic autofluorescence in a non-invasive and non-destructive way. The results demonstrate a diverse, complex, and abundant microbiota composed of coexisting fungal and bacterial species (Ascomycota, Mucoromycota, Basidiomycota, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria), along with mite carcasses, insects, parasites, and possibly protists. Furthermore, this study reveals certain species that were not previously documented in the biodeterioration of historical paper, including human pathogens, such as Histoplasma capsulatum, Brucella, Candida albicans, and species of Aspergillus (A. flavus, A. fumigatus, A. oryzae, A. terreus, A. niger) known to cause infections or produce mycotoxins, posing substantial risk to both artefacts and humans.
Topics: Humans; Aspergillus; Bacteria; Candida albicans; Mycotoxins; Italy
PubMed: 38523163
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-57228-2 -
Transplant Infectious Disease : An... Jun 2024Histoplasmosis is an expected endemic mycosis in solid organ transplant recipients and occurs as a primary infection, reactivation, or, rarely, acquired from an infected...
Histoplasmosis is an expected endemic mycosis in solid organ transplant recipients and occurs as a primary infection, reactivation, or, rarely, acquired from an infected allograft. Reactivation is favored by maintenance immunosuppression or anti-rejection therapy, which facilitates the appearance of disseminated forms as well as unusual presentations. We present the case of a 66-year-old woman with isolated tenosynovitis due to Histoplasma capsulatum 25 years after a kidney transplant.
Topics: Humans; Kidney Transplantation; Histoplasmosis; Histoplasma; Female; Aged; Tenosynovitis; Antifungal Agents; Immunocompromised Host; Immunosuppressive Agents; Transplant Recipients
PubMed: 38501790
DOI: 10.1111/tid.14269 -
Journal de Mycologie Medicale Jun 2024Histoplasmosis is a mycosis due to a dimorphic fungus Histoplasma capsulatum. This study aimed at providing an overview of histoplasmosis epidemiological, clinical,... (Review)
Review
Histoplasmosis is a mycosis due to a dimorphic fungus Histoplasma capsulatum. This study aimed at providing an overview of histoplasmosis epidemiological, clinical, diagnostic, and therapeutic aspects from the last 30 years. This review was carried out using a systematic literature search on histoplasmosis from 1992 to 2021. We describe the clinical features, diagnostic methods and treatment. Empirical searches were conducted via the databases PubMed, Google Scholar and Science Direct. Between 1992 and 2021, 190 manuscripts were published and reported 212 cases of histoplasmosis. These publications included 115 and 97 cases of American and African histoplasmosis respectively. The number of publications increased over the last ten years with a maximum in 2020 (12.34 % of the cases reported). The disseminated forms of histoplasmosis were the most frequently reported cases as compared to the localized forms. This was the case with the American histoplasmosis (75.65 %) as well as with the African histoplasmosis (55.67 %). Itraconazole (31.17 %) and Amphotericin B (26.62 %) were the most used drugs in the management of these cases. American histoplasmosis is distributed worldwide whereas African histoplasmosis is mainly present in intertropical Africa. There is a critical need for setting up a global surveillance system, towards a better understanding of the disease.
Topics: Histoplasmosis; Humans; Histoplasma; Antifungal Agents; Itraconazole; Amphotericin B; Africa
PubMed: 38484562
DOI: 10.1016/j.mycmed.2024.101474 -
Journal of Infection in Developing... Feb 2024Pulmonary histoplasmosis is a fungal disease that is endemic in North and Central America. It is relatively rare in China and commonly misdiagnosed as tuberculosis or... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Pulmonary histoplasmosis is a fungal disease that is endemic in North and Central America. It is relatively rare in China and commonly misdiagnosed as tuberculosis or cancer due to nonspecific clinical and radiographic manifestations. Rapid and accurate pathogen tests are critical for the diagnosis of pulmonary histoplasmosis.
METHODOLOGY
We report two cases of pulmonary histoplasmosis. We collected all the relevant case reports on the Chinese mainland (from 1990 to 2022) to analyze features of this disease among Chinese patients.
RESULTS
A total of 42 articles reporting 101 cases were identified, and the two cases reported in this article were also included for analysis. Sixty-three (61.2%) patients had respiratory symptoms and 35 (34.0%) patients were asymptomatic. The most common radiographic findings were pulmonary nodules or masses (81.6%). Twenty-two (21.4%) patients were misdiagnosed as tuberculosis, and 37 (35.9%) were misdiagnosed as lung tumors before pathological findings. Metagenomic next‑generation sequencing (mNGS) testing provided a rapid diagnostic and therapeutic basis for three patients.
CONCLUSIONS
Clinical features and imaging findings of pulmonary histoplasmosis are not specific. Relevant epidemiological history and timely pathogen detection are important for diagnosis. mNGS can shorten the time required for diagnosis and allow earlier initiation of targeted antibiotic therapy.
Topics: Humans; Histoplasmosis; Histoplasma; Pneumonia; Tuberculosis; Lung Diseases, Fungal
PubMed: 38484351
DOI: 10.3855/jidc.17934 -
Medical Mycology Mar 2024Definitive diagnosis of histoplasmosis relies on culture and/or cytology/histopathology; however, these procedures have limited sensitivity and cultures are...
Histoplasma antigens as novel players for the development of new enzyme immunoassays for the serodiagnosis of histoplasmosis: A comparative study of their analytical performance.
Definitive diagnosis of histoplasmosis relies on culture and/or cytology/histopathology; however, these procedures have limited sensitivity and cultures are time-consuming. Antibodies detection by immunodiffusion has low sensitivity in immunocompromised individuals and uses histoplasmin (HMN), a crude antigenic extract, as reagent. Novel protein antigen candidates have been recently identified and produced by DNA-recombinant techniques to obtain standardized and specific reagents for diagnosing histoplasmosis. To compare the analytical performance of novel enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) for antibodies testing for diagnosing histoplasmosis using different Histoplasma capsulatum antigens as reagents. The H. capsulatum 100 kDa protein (Hcp100), the M antigen and its immunoreactive fragment F1 were produced by DNA-recombinant techniques. Galactomannan was purified from both the yeast and mycelial cell walls (yGM and mGM, respectively). The analytical performance of the ELISA tests for the serological detection of antibodies against these antigens was evaluated and compared with those obtained using HMN as reagent. Antibodies detection by the Hcp100 ELISA demonstrated 90.0% sensitivity and 92.0% specificity, versus 43.3% sensitivity and 95.0% specificity of the M ELISA, 33.3% sensitivity and 84.0% specificity of the F1 ELISA, 96.7% sensitivity and 94.0% specificity of the yGM ELISA, 83.3% sensitivity and 88.0% specificity of the mGM ELISA, and 70.0% sensitivity and 86.0% specificity for the HMN ELISA. In summary, Hcp100 is proposed as the most promising candidate for the serodiagnosis of histoplasmosis. The primary immunoreactive element in HMN proved to be GM rather than the M antigen. Nevertheless, a higher incidence of cross-reactions was noted with GM compared to M.
Topics: Humans; Histoplasmosis; Histoplasma; Antibodies, Fungal; Immunoenzyme Techniques; Antigens, Fungal; Antibodies; Immunodiffusion; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; DNA
PubMed: 38479779
DOI: 10.1093/mmy/myae023 -
Infection and Drug Resistance 2024Histoplasmosis is an endemic disease caused by . This systemic disease can affect various organs beyond the lungs, such as the liver, spleen, adrenal gland, and lymph...
Histoplasmosis is an endemic disease caused by . This systemic disease can affect various organs beyond the lungs, such as the liver, spleen, adrenal gland, and lymph nodes. The clinical symptoms can range from asymptomatic to severe, life-threatening conditions, depending on the state of the patient's immune system. This report describes a 40-year-old male who presented with reports of weight loss, low back pain, and progressively worsening movement disorder of the bilateral lower extremities for months. Computed tomography (CT) examination showed multiple lytic lesions of vertebral bodies, bilateral ribs, and pelvic bone, histopathological examination and tumor-related serum markers exclude tumors. mNGS was employed to identify as the etiological agent of the lesions in the bone biopsy. Through phylogenetic tree analysis, () was the main responsible pathogen, rarely reported in bone lesions. The patient underwent spinal surgery and was successfully treated with liposomal amphotericin B and itraconazole. Based on the diagnosis and treatment of this case, we discuss the epidemiologic status, clinical presentations, diagnostic criteria, and treatment guidelines of histoplasmosis to provide additional information about this disease. mNGS is utilized in this case, and it appears to be a reliable method for early and accurate diagnosis of this disease.
PubMed: 38468846
DOI: 10.2147/IDR.S451564 -
Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease 2024
Topics: Humans; Histoplasmosis; Coinfection; Male; Dermatomycoses; Antifungal Agents; Histoplasma; Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination
PubMed: 38467233
DOI: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2024.102700 -
Emerging Microbes & Infections Dec 2024Histoplasmosis is an endemic mycosis in North America frequently reported along the Ohio and Mississippi River Valleys, although autochthonous cases occur in non-endemic...
Histoplasmosis is an endemic mycosis in North America frequently reported along the Ohio and Mississippi River Valleys, although autochthonous cases occur in non-endemic areas. In the United States, the disease is provoked by two genetically distinct clades of , (Nam1) and (Nam2). To bridge the molecular epidemiological gap, we genotyped 93 isolates (62 novel genomes) including clinical, environmental, and veterinarian samples from a broader geographical range by whole-genome sequencing, followed by evolutionary and species niche modelling analyses. We show that histoplasmosis is caused by two major lineages, and ; with sporadic cases caused by in California and Texas. While is prevalent in eastern states, was found to be prevalent in the central and western portions of the United States, but also geographically overlapping in some areas suggesting that these species might co-occur. Species Niche Modelling revealed that thrives in places with warmer and drier conditions, while is endemic to areas with cooler temperatures and more precipitation. In addition, we predicted multiple areas of secondary contact zones where the two species co-occur, potentially facilitating gene exchange and hybridization. This study provides the most comprehensive understanding of the genomic epidemiology of histoplasmosis in the USA and lays a blueprint for the study of invasive fungal diseases.
Topics: Histoplasmosis; Histoplasma; Genotype; Genomics; Texas
PubMed: 38465644
DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2024.2315960 -
Cureus Feb 2024Infections caused by typically do not produce symptoms. However, in individuals who are immunocompromised, progressive disseminated histoplasmosis may occur. A...
Infections caused by typically do not produce symptoms. However, in individuals who are immunocompromised, progressive disseminated histoplasmosis may occur. A 67-year-old female, with lengthy history of immunosuppression due to management of rheumatoid arthritis, reported a two-month history of fatigue, headaches, and intermittent fevers following hip surgery. Due to the concern for macrophage activation syndrome and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, a bone marrow biopsy was performed. However, the results indicated the presence of , which was supported by the presence of antigens in the serum and urine, antibodies in the serum, positive (1,3)-beta-D-glucan results, and fungal blood cultures. The patient initially received amphotericin B, but it was switched to itraconazole due to adverse effects. The patient remains on itraconazole therapy and follows as an outpatient with an infectious diseases specialist.
PubMed: 38455782
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.53723