Autoantibodies Neutralizing GM-CSF in HIV-Negative Colombian Patients Infected with Cryptococcus gattii and C. neoformans.

Background: Cryptococcosis is a life-threatening disease caused by Cryptococcus neoformans or C. gattii. Neutralizing autoantibodies (auto-Abs) against granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in otherwise healthy adults with cryptococcal meningitis have been described since 2013.

Fatal co-infection by multiple pathogens in an indigenous woman with autoimmune hemolytic anemia and tuberculosis: a case report.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB), one of the leading causes of death worldwide, has a higher incidence among indigenous people. Albeit uncommon, autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) has been deemed a risk condition to develop mycobacterial infection, as a result of the immunosuppressive treatments. TB, in turn, can be a predisposing factor for secondary infections.

Non- and Non- Causing Invasive Candidiasis in a Fourth-Level Hospital in Colombia: Epidemiology, Antifungal Susceptibility, and Genetic Diversity.

Increasingly common and associated with healthcare settings, infections are very important, since some species of this genus can develop antifungal resistance. We contribute data on the epidemiology, antifungal susceptibility, and genetic diversity of non- and non- affecting critically ill patients in a fourth-level hospital in Colombia. Ninety-seven isolates causing invasive infections, identified by conventional methods over 18 months, were studied.

Pore-forming peptide C14R exhibits potent antifungal activity against clinical isolates of and .

Introduction: Invasive candidiasis is a global public health problem as it poses a significant threat in hospital-settings. The aim of this study was to evaluate C14R, an analog derived from peptide BP100, as a potential antimicrobial peptide against the prevalent opportunistic yeast and the emergent multidrug-resistant yeast .

Methods: Antifungal susceptibility testing of C14R against 99 C and 105 C clinical isolates from Colombia, was determined by broth microdilution.

Autoantibodies neutralizing GM-CSF in HIV-negative Colombian patients infected with Cryptococcus gattii and C. neoformans.

Background: Cryptococcosis is a life-threatening disease caused by or . Autoantibodies (auto-Abs) neutralizing granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in otherwise healthy adults with cryptococcal meningitis have been described since 2013. We searched for neutralizing auto-Abs in sera from Colombian patients with non-HIV related cryptococcosis in a retrospective national cohort collected from 1997 to 2016.

Therapeutic Use of the Antimicrobial Peptide PNR20 to Resolve Disseminated Candidiasis in a Murine Model.

Invasive fungal infections (IFIs) caused by species are an emerging threat globally, given that patients at-risk and antifungal resistance are increasing. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have shown good therapeutic capacity against different multidrug-resistant (MDR) microorganisms. This study evaluated the activity of the synthetic peptide, PNR20, against ATCC 10231 and a MDR Colombian clinical isolate of .

In Vitro Antifungal Activity of Three Synthetic Peptides against and Other Species of Medical Importance.

Candidiasis is an opportunistic infection affecting immunosuppressed and hospitalized patients, with mortality rates approaching 40% in Colombia. The growing pharmacological resistance of species and the emergence of multidrug-resistant are major public health problems. Therefore, different antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are being investigated as therapeutic alternatives to control candidiasis effectively and safely.

Rare Yeasts in Latin America: Uncommon Yet Meaningful.

Systemic infections caused by rare yeasts are increasing given the rise in immunocompromised or seriously ill patients. Even though globally, the clinical significance of these emerging opportunistic yeasts is increasingly being recognized, less is known about the epidemiology of rare yeasts in Latin America. This review collects, analyzes, and contributes demographic and clinical data from 495 cases of infection caused by rare yeasts in the region.

Cm-p5 Peptide Dimers Inhibit Biofilms of Clinical Isolates, and Fluconazole-Resistant Mutants of .

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) represent a promising class of therapeutic biomolecules that show antimicrobial activity against a broad range of microorganisms, including life-threatening pathogens. In contrast to classic AMPs with membrane-disrupting activities, new peptides with a specific anti-biofilm effect are gaining in importance since biofilms could be the most important way of life, especially for pathogens, as the interaction with host tissues is crucial for the full development of their virulence in the event of infection. Therefore, in a previous study, two synthetic dimeric derivatives (parallel Dimer 1 and antiparallel Dimer 2) of the AMP Cm-p5 showed specific inhibition of the formation of biofilms.

Reduced Susceptibility to Azoles in Cryptococcus gattii Correlates with the Substitution R258L in a Substrate Recognition Site of the Lanosterol 14-α-Demethylase.

Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii cause cryptococcosis, a life-threatening fungal infection affecting mostly immunocompromised patients. In fact, cryptococcal meningitis accounts for about 19% of AIDS-related deaths in the world. Because of long-term azole therapies to treat this mycosis, resistance to fluconazole leading to treatment failure and poor prognosis has long been reported for both fungal species.

Antimicrobial Peptides: Avant-Garde Antifungal Agents to Fight against Medically Important Species.

Expanding the antifungal drug arsenal for treating infections is crucial in this era of the rising life expectancy of patients with immunosuppression and comorbidities. Infections caused by species are on the rise, including those caused by multidrug-resistant strains or species, and the list of antifungals approved for the treatment of these infections is still limited. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are short cationic polypeptides whose antimicrobial activity is under intense investigation.

Genotypic Diversity and Antifungal Susceptibility of Clinical Isolates of Cryptococcus Gattii Species Complex from Argentina.

The aim of this study was to determine the genotypic diversity of 22 Cryptococcus gattii species complex clinical isolates from Argentina and to place these genotypes within the diversity of clinical, veterinary and environmental isolates from Latin America. Mating type and antifungal susceptibility of the isolates were also determined. By URA5-RFLP, nine isolates were identified as molecular type VGI, 10 as VGII, one as VGIII and two as VGIV.

Causing Meningoencephalitis in Adults and a Child from Lima, Peru: Genotypic Diversity and Antifungal Susceptibility.

Cryptococcosis, caused predominantly by Cryptococcus neoformans, is a potentially fatal, opportunistic infection that commonly affects the central nervous system of immunocompromised patients. Globally, this mycosis is responsible for almost 20% of AIDS-related deaths, and in countries like Peru, its incidence remains high, mostly due to the annual increase in new cases of HIV infection. This study aimed to establish the genotypic diversity and antifungal susceptibility of C.

Cryptococcus neoformans- and Cryptococcus gattii-specific IgG, IgA and IgM differ among children and adults with and without cryptococcosis from Colombia.

Cryptococcus neoformans (Cn) and Cryptococcus gattii (Cg) cause cryptococcosis, a life-threatening systemic mycosis of global distribution affecting mainly immunocompromised adults. Although a humoral response occurs during cryptococcosis, the role of antibody production against this mycosis is not fully understood. We aimed to determine total and specific antibodies against cryptococcal protein antigens in sera from people with and without a diagnosis of cryptococcosis from Colombia.

Molecular type distribution and fluconazole susceptibility of clinical Cryptococcus gattii isolates from South African laboratory-based surveillance, 2005-2013.

As is the case globally, Cryptococcus gattii is a less frequent cause of cryptococcosis than Cryptococcus neoformans in South Africa. We performed multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and fluconazole susceptibility testing of 146 isolates randomly selected from 750 South African patients with C. gattii disease identified through enhanced laboratory surveillance, 2005 to 2013.

Recent Advances in and Cryptococcosis.

The members of the and species complexes are the main etiological agents of cryptococcosis, a life-threatening fungal infection affecting mostly immunocompromised people, but also immunocompetent hosts or those with unrecognized risk factors [...

Multilocus Sequence Typing Reveals Extensive Genetic Diversity of the Emerging Fungal Pathogen .

spp. are the second most prevalent filamentous fungi after spp. recovered from cystic fibrosis (CF) patients in various regions of the world.

Clinical and Epidemiological Profile of Patients with Invasive Aspergillosis from a Fourth Level Hospital in Bogota, Colombia: A Retrospective Study.

Invasive aspergillosis (IA) is a severe mycosis caused by species. The infection mainly affects immunocompromised patients with a significant clinical burden. This study aimed to determine the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of patients diagnosed with IA in a fourth level hospital in Colombia, as these data are scarce in the country.

Identification of Disease-Associated Cryptococcal Proteins Reactive With Serum IgG From Cryptococcal Meningitis Patients.

, an opportunistic fungal pathogen ubiquitously present in the environment, causes cryptococcal meningitis (CM) mainly in immunocompromised patients, such as AIDS patients. We aimed to identify disease-associated cryptococcal protein antigens targeted by the human humoral immune response. Therefore, we used sera from Colombian CM patients, with or without HIV infection, and from healthy individuals living in the same region.

Antifungal susceptibility of clinical Cryptococcus gattii isolates from Colombia varies among molecular types.

Unlabelled: Cryptococcosis by Cryptococcus gattii is endemic in Colombia, affecting mostly immunocompetent hosts. Since antifungal susceptibility differs between molecular types of cryptococcal isolates, as reported elsewhere, the aim of this study was to determine if 42 Colombian clinical isolates, VGI, VGII and VGIII, differ in the susceptibility to commonly used antifungals, using Sensititre plates. Among the molecular types, six non-wild type isolates to fluconazole, voriconazole, and 5-flucytosine, were identified.

Genotype, Antifungal Susceptibility, and Virulence of Clinical South African Strains from National Surveillance, 2005-2009.

In South Africa, is the most common cause of adult meningitis. We performed multi locus sequence typing and fluconazole susceptibility testing of clinical isolates collected from 251 South African patients with cryptococcosis through national surveillance from 2005 to 2009. We examined the association between clinical characteristics of patients and genotype, and the effect of genotype on in-hospital mortality.

and Species Complexes in Latin America: A Map of Molecular Types, Genotypic Diversity, and Antifungal Susceptibility as Reported by the Latin American Cryptococcal Study Group.

Cryptococcosis, a potentially fatal mycosis, is caused by members of the and species complexes. In Latin America, cryptococcal meningitis is still an important health threat with a significant clinical burden. Analysis of publicly available molecular data from 5686 clinical, environmental, and veterinary cryptococcal isolates from member countries of the Latin American Cryptococcal Study Group showed that, as worldwide, molecular type VNI is the most common cause of cryptococcosis (76.

Cryptococcosis in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Recipients: A Rare Presentation Warranting Recognition.

Cryptococcosis, a life-threatening mycosis caused mainly by , appears to be distinctly rare in hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients. When it occurs, this fungal infection is a major limitation for a successful transplant. This review comprehensively analyses 24 cases, reported in the literature, of patients with haematological malignancies including leukemias, multiple myeloma, and lymphomas, as indication for HSCT, who presented with cryptococcosis after transplantation.

Invasive fungal disease in humans: are we aware of the real impact?

Despite the medical advances and interventions to improve the quality of life of those in intensive care, people with cancer or severely immunocompromised or other susceptible hosts, invasive fungal diseases (IFD) remain severe and underappreciated causes of illness and death worldwide. Therefore, IFD continue to be a public health threat and a major hindrance to the success of otherwise life-saving treatments and procedures. Globally, hundreds of thousands of people are affected every year with Candida albicans, Aspergillus fumigatus, Cryptococcus neoformans, Pneumocystis jirovecii, endemic dimorphic fungi and Mucormycetes, the most common fungal species causing invasive diseases in humans.