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Fungal Infections
Published in Ayşe Serap Karadağ, Lawrence Charles Parish, Jordan V. Wang, Roxburgh's Common Skin Diseases, 2022
Uwe Wollina, Pietro Nenoff, Shyam Verma, Uta-Christina Hipler
Overview: These are uncommon. Systemic immunosuppression including HIV-infection is the major risk factor. These, sometimes life-threatening, infections are seen more in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Systemic endemic mycoses occur after the inhalation of fungal spores, while the cutaneous endemic mycoses enter the host via traumatic inoculation into the skin. For treatment, see Table 8.2.
The Fungi
Published in Julius P. Kreier, Infection, Resistance, and Immunity, 2022
Antifungal therapy is available for the control of this mycosis but its effectiveness is very dependent upon the underlying health of the host and the stage of the disease at the time therapy is initiated.
Fungi and Water
Published in Chuong Pham-Huy, Bruno Pham Huy, Food and Lifestyle in Health and Disease, 2022
Chuong Pham-Huy, Bruno Pham Huy
Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by microfungi (molds, yeasts) that are capable of causing disease and death in humans and animals. Growth of fungi in human hosts leads to diseases collectively called mycoses, while dietary, respiratory, dermal, and other exposures to toxic fungal metabolites named mycotoxins produce the diseases collectively called mycotoxicosis (125). Mycoses range from merely annoying (e.g., athlete’s foot) to life-threatening (e.g., invasive aspergillosis). The fungi that cause mycoses can be divided into two categories: primary pathogens (e.g., Coccidioides immitis and Histoplasma capsulatum) and opportunistic pathogens (e.g., Aspergillus fumigatus and Candida albicans) (125). In general, primary pathogens affect healthy individuals with normal immune systems, while opportunistic pathogens produce illness in debilitated or immunocompromised hosts – in atopic subjects. The majority of human mycoses are caused by opportunistic fungi (125). In contrast to mycosis, mycotoxicosis is a disease caused by mycotoxins that are toxic compounds present in molds. Mycotoxins are analogous to pesticides or heavy metal residues in foods and can cause disease to everybody (125). The symptoms of a mycotoxicosis depend on the type of mycotoxin; the amount and duration of the exposure; the age, health, and sex of the exposed individual; and many poorly understood synergistic effects involving genetics, dietary status, and interactions with other toxic insults (125).
Echinocandins – structure, mechanism of action and use in antifungal therapy
Published in Journal of Enzyme Inhibition and Medicinal Chemistry, 2022
Mateusz Szymański, Sandra Chmielewska, Urszula Czyżewska, Marta Malinowska, Adam Tylicki
Diseases caused by fungi are a serious problem. Currently, the number of people affected by fungal infections worldwide exceeds one billion1, and the number of deaths caused by invasive fungal species is comparable to the mortality of tuberculosis − 1.5 million each year2. About 90% of mortalities are caused by fungi grouped into four genera: Candida, Aspergillus, Cryptococcus, and Pneumocystis3 (Table 1). There are at least 17 pathogenic species complexes in the genus Candida, but more than 90% of infections are attributed to Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Candida parapsilosis, Candida tropicalis, and Candida krusei4. The patients suffering from AIDS, cancer (and associated chemotherapy), leukaemia, patients on immune-compromising drug therapy, and after organ transplantation are particularly vulnerable to mycoses5.
Histoplasmosis presenting as colitis and blood dyscrasias in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus
Published in Baylor University Medical Center Proceedings, 2022
Dua Noor Butt, Muhamad Sheharyar Warraich, Akshay Machanahalli Balakrishna, Mahmoud Ismayl, Sumbul Liaqat, Kanza Noor Butt, Joseph Thirumalareddy, Manasa Velagapudi
Histoplasmosis is the most common endemic mycosis in the United States.1,2 There is a wide spectrum of disease manifestations, ranging from asymptomatic infections to acute pulmonary infections to devastating progressive disseminated disease.3 The causative organism H. capsulatum is a dimorphic fungus. It grows as a mold in the environment at cooler temperatures and as a yeast at 37°C at body temperature. Most patients infected with this fungus experience asymptomatic hematogenous dissemination throughout the reticuloendothelial system via parasitized macrophages. Progressive disseminated histoplasmosis is common in patients with impaired cell-mediated immunity. AIDS, hematologic malignancy, solid organ transplantation, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, corticosteroid use, tumor necrosis factor antagonist therapy, congenital T-cell deficiency, and infancy and old age have been reported as risk factors.4
Mucormycosis with peculiar aortic involvement in a child with acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Published in Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, 2020
Giada Biddeci, Michele Antonello, Marco Pizzi, Maria Grazia Petris, Marta Pillon, Daniele Donà, Alessandra Biffi, Maria Caterina Putti
Invasive mycotic infections are serious complications in immunocompromised patients. The incidence of invasive fungal infection is about 10% or higher in patients with acute myeloid leukemia, relapsed acute leukemia, and after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cells transplantation. The incidence is variable in patients with acute lymphatic leukemia, depending on the protocol and the cumulative presence of risk factors. Mortality related to invasive mycosis varies between 20% and 70%, depending on the extent of the infection and other associated risk factors.5 Aspergillosis and candidiasis are more common than mucormycosis, although this infection has been increasingly diagnosed during the last few years.3 The incidence of mucormycosis is variable between 0 and 35%. The prognosis is generally poor and associated with high mortality.5