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Journal of Ethnopharmacology Sep 2021Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is a systemic mycosis with high prevalence in South America and especially in Brazil with severe clinical consequences that need broadened...
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE
Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is a systemic mycosis with high prevalence in South America and especially in Brazil with severe clinical consequences that need broadened therapeutic options. Propolis is a natural resin from bees used in folk medicine for centuries with the first report in the ancient history of Egypt by Eberly papyrus, in Middle-Ages used to wash the newborn's umbilical cord and World War II as antiseptic or antibiotics. Nowadays it is a natural product worldwide consumed as food and traditionally used for oral and systemic diseases as an anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antifungal, and other diseases. Brazilian red propolis (BRP) is a new type of propolis with a distinguished chemical profile and biological activities from propolis (green) with pharmacological properties such as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and others.
AIM OF STUDY
Thus, the main purpose of this study was to investigate the direct in vitro and ex vivo effect of BRP on Paracoccidioides brasiliensis.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Antifungal activity of different concentrations of BRP on a virulent P. brasiliensis isolate (Pb18) was evaluated using the microdilution technique. Also, mice splenic cells co-cultured with Pb18 were treated with BRP at different times and concentrations (only Pb18 = negative control). Mice were inoculated with Pb18 and treated with different concentrations of BRP (50-500 mg/mL) in a subcutaneous air pouch. In this later experimental model, macroscopic characteristics of the air pouch were evaluated, and cellular exudate was collected and analyzed for cellular composition, mitochondrial activity, total protein reactive oxygen specimens (ROS), and nitric oxide production, as well as the number of viable fungal cells.
RESULTS
The in vitro experiments showed remarkable direct antifungal activity of BRP, mainly with the highest concentration employed (500 mg/mL), reducing the number of viable cells to 10% of the original inoculum after 72 h incubation. The splenocytes co-cultivation assays showed that BRP had no cytotoxic effect on these cells, on the contrary, exerted a stimulatory effect. This stimulation was also observed on the PMNs at the air pouch, as verified by production of ROS and total proteins and mitochondrial activity. This activation resulted in enhanced fungicidal activity, mainly with the 500 mg/mL concentration of BRP. An anti-inflammatory effect was also detected, as verified by the smaller volume of the BRP-treated air pouch as well as by an earlier shift from neutrophils to mononuclear cells present in the infection site.
CONCLUSION
Our results strongly suggest, for the first time in the literature, that Brazilian Red propolis has four protective mechanisms in experimental paracoccidioidomycosis: activating neutrophils, exerting a direct antifungal effect, preventing fungal dissemination, and controlling excessive inflammation process.
Topics: Animals; Antifungal Agents; Brazil; Disease Models, Animal; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Female; Inflammation; Mice; Neutrophils; Paracoccidioides; Paracoccidioidomycosis; Propolis; Reactive Oxygen Species
PubMed: 33991639
DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2021.114181 -
Sao Paulo Medical Journal = Revista... 2016Paracoccidioidomycosis is a systemic form of mycosis that spreads hematogenously, secondarily to reactivation of lung infection or infection at another site or to new... (Review)
Review
CONTEXT:
Paracoccidioidomycosis is a systemic form of mycosis that spreads hematogenously, secondarily to reactivation of lung infection or infection at another site or to new exposure to the causative agent. Few cases of bone involvement have been reported in the literature and involvement of the spine is extremely rare.
CASE REPORT:
We describe a case of a 68-year-old male patient with spondylodiscitis at the levels L4-L5 caused by presence of the fungus Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, which was diagnosed through percutaneous biopsy. The patient was treated with sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim for 36 months, with complete resolution of the symptoms.
CONCLUSION:
Spondylodiscitis caused by the fungus Paracoccidioides brasiliensis is uncommon. However, in patients with chronic low-back pain who live or used to live in endemic regions, this infection should be considered as a possible differential diagnosis.
Topics: Aged; Biopsy; Diagnosis, Differential; Humans; Low Back Pain; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Paracoccidioides; Paracoccidioidomycosis; Spinal Cord Diseases
PubMed: 27355801
DOI: 10.1590/1516-3180.2015.02691801 -
Memorias Do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz 2020Paracoccidioides spp. isolation from environmental samples is rare and hardly reproducible. Molecular techniques have facilitated the fungal detection. However, it can...
Paracoccidioides spp. isolation from environmental samples is rare and hardly reproducible. Molecular techniques have facilitated the fungal detection. However, it can be still difficult. Some strategies to enhance the capacity of DNA detection have been adopted, including the analysis of soil samples belonging to the habitat of animals from which Paracoccidioides spp. have already been isolated, notably armadillo burrows. To date, the detection of Paracoccidioides spp. has not yet been reported from outbreak hotspots. Clusters and outbreaks of acute paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM), usually a more severe clinical form, have currently occurred in urban areas being associated to climate changes, deforestation, and great constructions. These occurrences potentially signalise the fungus' environmental niche, a riddle not yet solved. The authors performed an environmental investigation in a deeply disturbed area, after a highway construction in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where a recent outbreak of acute PCM occurred. Specific DNA sequences of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis were detected in shallow soil samples around the highway, reinforcing the association between the road construction and this PCM outbreak.
Topics: Animals; Armadillos; Base Sequence; Brazil; DNA, Fungal; Ecosystem; Paracoccidioides; Paracoccidioidomycosis; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Soil Microbiology
PubMed: 32696916
DOI: 10.1590/0074-02760200208 -
British Medical Journal (Clinical...
Topics: Antifungal Agents; Candidiasis; Dermatomycoses; Humans; Imidazoles; Ketoconazole; Paracoccidioidomycosis; Piperazines
PubMed: 6297655
DOI: 10.1136/bmj.285.6342.584 -
Revista Da Sociedade Brasileira de... 2024Accurate diagnosis of paracoccidioidomycosis is crucial for improving patient outcomes. Paracoccidioides antibody detection by double immunodiffusion (DID) is a...
BACKGROUND
Accurate diagnosis of paracoccidioidomycosis is crucial for improving patient outcomes. Paracoccidioides antibody detection by double immunodiffusion (DID) is a convenient diagnostic tool, but testing performance can vary based on certain factors.
METHODS
We assessed DID performance using a commercially prepared Paracoccidioides reagents (IMMY, USA), involving 40 serum specimens, including 20 from patients with proven paracoccidioidomycosis and 20 from patients without the disease. The DID test demonstrated a sensitivity of 90% (95% CI=68%-99%) and a specificity of 100% (95% CI=83%-100%).
CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that DID using commercial reagents may provide a feasible tool with satisfactory testing performance for anti-Paracoccidioides antibody detection.
Topics: Humans; Sensitivity and Specificity; Antibodies, Fungal; Immunodiffusion; Paracoccidioidomycosis; Paracoccidioides; Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; Female; Male
PubMed: 38808801
DOI: 10.1590/0037-8682-0094-2024 -
MSphere Apr 2019The thermodimorphic pathogenic fungi and are the etiologic causes of paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM), the most prevalent systemic mycosis in Latin America. Galectin-3...
The thermodimorphic pathogenic fungi and are the etiologic causes of paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM), the most prevalent systemic mycosis in Latin America. Galectin-3 (Gal-3), an animal β-galactoside-binding protein, modulates important roles during microbial infections, such as triggering a Th2-polarized immune response in PCM. Herein, we demonstrate that Gal-3 also plays other important roles in infection. We verified that Gal-3 levels are upregulated in human and mice infections and established that Gal-3 inhibited growth by inhibiting budding. Furthermore, Gal-3 affected disruption and internalization of extracellular vesicles (EVs) from by macrophages. Our results suggest important protective roles for Gal-3 in infection, indicating that increased Gal-3 production during infection may affect fungal growth and EV stability, thus promoting beneficial effects that could influence the course of PCM. The finding that Gal-3 has effects against together with previously reported effects against suggests that molecule has a general antifungal role in innate defenses against fungal pathogens. Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is the most prevalent systemic mycosis in Latin America. Although the immune mechanisms to control PCM are still not fully understood, several events of the host innate and adaptive immunity are crucial to determine the progress of the infection. Mammalian β-galactoside-binding protein galectin-3 (Gal-3) plays significant roles during microbial infections and has been studied for its immunomodulatory roles, but it can also have direct antimicrobial effects. We asked whether this protein plays a role in We report herein that Gal-3 indeed has direct effects on the fungal pathogen, inhibiting fungal growth and reducing extracellular vesicle stability. Our results suggest a direct role for Gal-3 in infection, with beneficial effects for the mammalian host.
Topics: Animals; Antifungal Agents; Blood Proteins; Disease Models, Animal; Extracellular Vesicles; Galectin 3; Galectins; Humans; Immunity, Innate; Macrophages; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Knockout; Microbial Viability; Paracoccidioides; Paracoccidioidomycosis; Up-Regulation
PubMed: 31019001
DOI: 10.1128/mSphere.00209-19 -
Mycopathologia 2008Melanin pigments are substances produced by a broad variety of pathogenic microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, and helminths. Microbes predominantly produce... (Review)
Review
Melanin pigments are substances produced by a broad variety of pathogenic microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, and helminths. Microbes predominantly produce melanin pigment via tyrosinases, laccases, catecholases, and the polyketide synthase pathway. In fungi, melanin is deposited in the cell wall and cytoplasm, and melanin particles ("ghosts") can be isolated from these fungi that have the same size and shape of the original cells. Melanin has been reported in several human pathogenic dimorphic fungi including Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, Sporothrix schenckii, Histoplasma capsulatum, Blastomyces dermatitidis, and Coccidioides posadasii. Melanization appears to contribute to virulence by reducing the susceptibility of melanized fungi to host defense mechanisms and antifungal drugs.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Melanins; Mitosporic Fungi; Mycoses; Paracoccidioides; Paracoccidioidomycosis; Virulence; Virulence Factors
PubMed: 18777637
DOI: 10.1007/s11046-007-9061-4 -
Boletin Medico Del Hospital Infantil de... 2022Paracoccidioidomycosis is a systemic infection caused by the fungus Paracoccidioides. It may present in two forms: an acute/subacute form, whose most frequent...
BACKGROUND
Paracoccidioidomycosis is a systemic infection caused by the fungus Paracoccidioides. It may present in two forms: an acute/subacute form, whose most frequent manifestations include weight loss, fever, anemia, and adenopathy, and a chronic condition with mainly respiratory symptoms. Digestive symptoms, although they may occur, are not frequently reported. Paracoccidioidomycosis usually affects adult male agricultural workers; thus, its presentation in children is rare.
CASE REPORT
We describe the case of a 9-year-old male patient diagnosed with paracoccidioidomycosis, who showed abdominal pain and diarrhea as initial manifestations of the disease.
CONCLUSIONS
This case is reported not only because of the age of presentation but also due to the existence of digestive symptoms from the onset of the disease, both infrequently reported in the literature.
Topics: Child; Humans; Male; Paracoccidioidomycosis; Abdominal Pain; Diarrhea
PubMed: 36477114
DOI: 10.24875/BMHIM.21000229 -
PloS One 2019Minerals, such as zinc, copper, and iron are reported to play roles in chronic infectious diseases; however, their role in paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) remains unknown....
Minerals, such as zinc, copper, and iron are reported to play roles in chronic infectious diseases; however, their role in paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) remains unknown. This study aimed to examine the micronutrient dynamics and their correlation with serum proteins and thyroid hormones in patients with PCM. In 14 patients with PCM and 10 healthy subjects, we evaluated the body mass index (BMI) along with serum levels of hemoglobin, iron, ferritin, zinc, copper, magnesium, albumin, globulin, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroxine (free T4), and triiodothyronine (T3). Evaluations were conducted at the first appointment, before treatment, and at the end of the first, second, fourth, and sixth month of PCM treatment. The control group was only evaluated once. We observed that before treatment, patients with PCM, had higher levels of copper and lower level of iron than those of the control group. After one month of treatment, the iron levels increased, whereas the levels of copper after six months of treatment. Reduction in inflammatory activity, indicated by the normalization of C-reactive protein, ferritin, albumin, and globulin levels, was observed during treatment. However, no correlation was observed between the serum levels of minerals and inflammatory activity or thyroid function in this study. In conclusion, our results showed higher serum copper levels in control group compared to those in pretreatment patients; the clinical importance of this observation should be investigated in further studies. After treatment, serum copper levels showed a tendency to decrease. In addition, serum iron levels were decreased at the stage of active disease, and were increased after treatment. Thus, serum iron levels can be used as a better biomarker for treatment control.
Topics: Adult; Blood Proteins; Female; Humans; Male; Micronutrients; Middle Aged; Paracoccidioides; Paracoccidioidomycosis; Thyroid Hormones
PubMed: 31877169
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0226609 -
Revista Brasileira de Reumatologia 2016Paracoccidioidomycosis is a fungal infection endemic to South America. The infection is usually asymptomatic and mostly affects the upper and lower respiratory tracts...
Paracoccidioidomycosis is a fungal infection endemic to South America. The infection is usually asymptomatic and mostly affects the upper and lower respiratory tracts with clinical-radiological dissociation. Joint involvement is rare with no specific pattern or radiological injury. We report a case of paracoccidioidomycosis in which the patient's initial symptoms were hoarseness and arthritis. After an ultrasound examination, we performed the differential diagnosis of other noninfectious arthropathies and analysis of the material collected, which revealed infection with the fungus Paracoccidioides brasiliensis.
Topics: Diagnosis, Differential; Humans; Muscle, Skeletal; Paracoccidioides; Paracoccidioidomycosis; South America; Ultrasonography
PubMed: 27267337
DOI: 10.1016/j.rbre.2014.02.022