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Cell Commun Signal 2022 Jun 27;20(1):98. Epub 2022 Jun 27.

School of Clinical Medicine, Chengdu Medical College, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.

Background: Aspergillus fumigatus infection is difficult to diagnose clinically and can develop into invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, which has a high fatality rate. The incidence of Aspergillus fumigatus infection has increased die to widespread application of radiotherapy technology. However, knowledge regarding A. Read More

Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol 2022 Jun 27;18(1):58. Epub 2022 Jun 27.

Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Gusu School, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, 215002, Jiangsu Province, China.

Background: Kimura disease (KD) is a rare chronic idiopathic condition of unknown etiology that is prevalent in Asian males. It often causes subcutaneous lumps and enlarged lymph nodes, especially in head and neck region. But KD is also a systemic disease that can involve multiple organs, such as the kidneys and skin. Read More

Mycoses 2022 Jun 27. Epub 2022 Jun 27.

Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, India.

Background: The diagnostic accuracy of immunoassays versus immunoprecipitation methods for detecting A.fumigatus-specific IgG in patients with allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) complicating asthma remains unclear.

Methods: We performed a systematic review to identify studies describing both the methods in the same ABPA subjects. Read More

IJID Reg 2021 Dec 27;1:34-40. Epub 2021 Sep 27.

Manchester Fungal Infection Group, The University of Manchester and Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK.

Objective: : To estimate the incidence and prevalence of serious fungal infections in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T), with a population of 1 394 973 million.

Methods: : The medical literature was searched to obtain published data on the incidence and prevalence of fungal infections in the Caribbean. If data were unavailable, estimations were performed using the frequencies of fungal infection in populations at risk. Read More

Front Microbiol 2022 9;13:919501. Epub 2022 Jun 9.

Veterinary Medical Research Institute, Budapest, Hungary.

Secondary fungal infections may complicate the clinical course of patients affected by viral respiratory diseases, especially those admitted to intensive care unit. Hospitalized COVID-19 patients are at increased risk of fungal co-infections exacerbating the prognosis of disease due to misdiagnosis that often result in treatment failure and high mortality rate. COVID-19-associated fungal infections caused by predominantly and species, and fungi of the order have been reported from several countries to become significant challenge for healthcare system. Read More

Med Intensiva (Engl Ed) 2022 Jun 23. Epub 2022 Jun 23.

Servicio de Medicina Intensiva, Hospital Universitario de Jerez, Jerez de la Frontera, Cádiz, Spain; Departamento de Medicina, INiBICA, Facultad de Medicina de Cádiz, Cádiz, Spain. Electronic address:

Rev Iberoam Micol 2022 Jun 23. Epub 2022 Jun 23.

Department of Microbiology, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain; ISGlobal, Barcelona, Institute for Global health, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.

Background: The cryptic Aspegillus species are rare, these microorganisms are usually more resistant to common antifungal therapies. Therefore, a correct identification is important when evaluating the impact of such species in aspergillosis.

Aims: We aimed to describe the frequency, clinical and microbiological characteristics, and the outcomes of those cases of aspergillosis caused by cryptic species in a tertiary hospital. Read More

Ital J Pediatr 2022 Jun 25;48(1):109. Epub 2022 Jun 25.

Clinical Microbiology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.

Background: The potential use of biomarkers in the diagnosis of fungal infections is a challenge. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of a biomarker-guided antifungal stewardship program for hospitalized pediatrics suffering from invasive aspergillosis (IA).

Methods: Pediatric patients with suspected probable or proven IA were enrolled in this study. Read More

Lancet Infect Dis 2022 Jul;22(7):940-941

Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh 160012, India.

Lancet Infect Dis 2022 Jul;22(7):939-940

Department of Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi 110029, India. Electronic address:

J Immunol 2022 Jun 24. Epub 2022 Jun 24.

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH;

Our recent data demonstrate a critical role of the RIG-I-like receptor family in regulating antifungal immunity against in a murine model. However, the importance of this pathway in humans and the cell types that use this innate immune receptor family to detect remain unresolved. In this study, using patients who underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, we demonstrate that a polymorphism in human present in the donor genome was associated with the incidence of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. Read More

Curr Drug Targets 2022 Jun 23. Epub 2022 Jun 23.

Department of Biotechnology, Maharishi Dayanand University, Rohtak, Haryana-124001, INDIA.

Nowadays fungal infection emerged as a significant problem to healthcare management systems due to the high frequency of associated morbidity and mortality and the limitations like toxicity, drug-drug interactions, and resistance of the currently available antifungal agents. Aspergillus is the most common mold which causes infection in immunocompromised hosts. It is a hyaline mold that is cosmopolitan and ubiquitous. Read More

Curr Med Mycol 2021 Dec;7(4):19-27

Department of Pathology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India.

Background And Purpose: The healthcare system in India collapsed during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. A fungal epidemic was announced amid the pandemic with several cases of COVID-associated mucormycosis and pulmonary aspergillosis being reported. However, there is limited data regarding mixed fungal infections in COVID-19 patients. Read More

Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022 Jun 9;19(12). Epub 2022 Jun 9.

Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, Hygiene Section, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Piazza G. Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy.

Aspergillosis is a disease caused by , and invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) is the most common invasive fungal infection leading to death in severely immuno-compromised patients. The literature reports co-infections in patients with COVID-19 (CAPA). Diagnosing CAPA clinically is complex since the symptoms are non-specific, and performing a bronchoscopy is difficult. Read More

Diagnostics (Basel) 2022 Jun 1;12(6). Epub 2022 Jun 1.

Infectious and Tropical Disease Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, "Magna Graecia" University of Catanzaro, Viale Europa, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy.

During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, a higher incidence of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis was observed in patients affected by Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), leading to the delineation of a new entity named COVID-19 associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA). A predisposition to invasive infection caused by spp. in SARS-CoV-2 infected patients can be ascribed either to the direct viral-mediated damage of the respiratory epithelium, as already observed in influenza H1N1 virus infections, or to the dysregulated immunity associated with COVID-19. Read More

Antibiotics (Basel) 2022 May 24;11(6). Epub 2022 May 24.

Clinic of Infectious Diseases, HUB-Erasme Hospital, 1070 Brussels, Belgium.

Few data are available on infectious complications in critically ill patients with different viral infections. We performed a retrospective monocentric study including all of the patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with confirmed COVID-19 (as of 13 March 2020) or Influenza A and/or B infections (as of 1 January 2015) until 20 April 2020. Coinfection and secondary infections (occurring within and after 48 h from admission, respectively) were recorded. Read More

J Mycol Med 2022 Jun 15;32(4):101304. Epub 2022 Jun 15.

Uludağ University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Hematology, Bursa, Turkey.

Introduction: The first consensus definitions for invasive fungal diseases (IFD) were published in 2002. Advances in diagnostic tests and a clear need for improvement in certain areas led to a revision of these definitions in 2008. However, growing data on Aspergillus galactomannan (GM) thresholds and the introduction of new polymerase chain reaction-based diagnostic tests resulted in a further update by EORTC and Mycoses Study Group Education and Research Consortium (MSGERC) in 2020. Read More

J Fungi (Basel) 2022 May 27;8(6). Epub 2022 May 27.

Servicio de Medicina Interna, Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas CAUSA, IBSAL, CIETUS, 37007 Salamanca, Spain.

(1) Background: produces high morbidity and mortality, especially in at-risk populations. In Spain, the evolution of mortality in recent years due to this fungus is not well established. The aim of this study was to estimate the case fatality rate of aspergillosis in inpatients from 1997 to 2017 in Spain. Read More

J Fungi (Basel) 2022 May 25;8(6). Epub 2022 May 25.

Infectious Diseases Service, Beaumont Hospital, D09 V2N0 Dublin, Ireland.

This case highlights the use of (1,3)-beta-d glucan to direct treatment of a cervical spinal cord infection in a 22-year-old woman immunocompromised due to steroid and anti-TNF therapy in the context of ulcerative colitis and interferon gamma deficiency. A 4-year treatment course requiring neurosurgical intervention on four occasions and prolonged antifungal therapy, including isavuconazole, resulted in clinical cure with a corresponding decrease in CSF beta-d-glucan to <30 pg/mL. Serum and CSF galactomannan levels were not elevated at any point during the clinical course. Read More

Rev Chilena Infectol 2022 02;39(1):14-19

Unidad de Farmacia, Hospital Luis Calvo Mackenna, Santiago, Brasil.

Background: Voriconazole is the antifungal of choice for the treatment of invasive aspergillosis (IA). Plasma concentrations (PCs) > 1 μg / mL llave been associated with better therapeutic results which have not always been achieved during treatment in immunocompromised children. In the necessity to initiate early and effective therapy for the infection, it is relevant to establish the voriconazole administration regimen that is associated with optimal PCs in this population. Read More

Pediatr Dermatol 2022 Jun 22. Epub 2022 Jun 22.

Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.

Hyper-IgE syndromes (HIES) are a heterogeneous group of rare primary immunodeficiency diseases classically characterized by the triad of atopic dermatitis, and recurrent cutaneous and pulmonary infections. Autosomal dominant, loss-of-function STAT3 pathogenic variants are the most common genetic cause, which lead to deficiency of Th17 lymphocytes, impaired interferon gamma production, and IL-10 signal transduction, and an unbalanced IL-4 state. Dupilumab, a monoclonal antibody to the IL-4a receptor, inhibits both IL-4 and IL-13, and has been shown to improve atopic dermatitis and other manifestations of HIES including asthma and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis. Read More

Front Immunol 2022 6;13:823121. Epub 2022 Jun 6.

Department of Hematology, Medical Oncology and Pneumology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany.

β2-integrins are heterodimeric surface receptors that are expressed specifically by leukocytes and consist of a variable α (CD11a-d) and a common β-subunit (CD18). Functional impairment of CD18, which causes leukocyte adhesion deficiency type-1 results in an immunocompromised state characterized by severe infections, such as invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA). The underlying immune defects have largely been attributed to an impaired migratory and phagocytic activity of polymorphonuclear granulocytes (PMN). Read More

Case Rep Pulmonol 2022 13;2022:3627202. Epub 2022 Jun 13.

Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, King Fahd Hospital of the University, Respiratory Medicine Unit, Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia.

Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis is an uncommon condition characterized by airway hypersensitivity to Aspergillus fumigatus, resulting in worsening asthma control and bronchiectasis progression. It is associated with various radiological features. Here, we describe a 53-year-old lady with atypical CT chest finding as soft tissue density masses in both lungs evaluated initially as a lung tumour. Read More

Intern Med 2022 Jun 21. Epub 2022 Jun 21.

Department of Respiratory Medicine, Seirei Hamamatsu General Hospital, Japan.

A 71-year-old man was admitted for left-sided chest pain. He had a history of diabetes, treatment with epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer, and corticosteroid treatment for underlying lung diseases. Chest computed tomography showed consolidations in the bilateral lower lobes, and Aspergillus fumigatus was detected by bronchoscopy. Read More

J Bronchology Interv Pulmonol 2022 07 22;29(3):e35-e38. Epub 2022 Jun 22.

Section of Interventional Pulmonary Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care Allergy and Sleep Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco.

J Antimicrob Chemother 2022 Jun 21. Epub 2022 Jun 21.

Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.

Background: Isavuconazole is an antifungal drug used for treatment of invasive fungal infections. Critically ill COVID-19 and influenza patients require extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in cases with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome and have risk factors for invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. Little is known about isavuconazole plasma concentrations during ECMO. Read More

Ann Dermatol 2022 Jun 20;34(3):233-234. Epub 2022 May 20.

Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Busan, Korea.

Front Immunol 2022 1;13:900522. Epub 2022 Jun 1.

Centre for Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Hôpital Universitaire Necker-Enfants Malades, Assistance Publique -Hôpitaux de Paris, Université de Paris, Paris, France.

Invasive fungal diseases (IFD) still cause substantial morbidity and mortality, and new therapeutic approaches are urgently needed. Recent data suggest a benefit of checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). We report the case of a diabetic patient with refractory IFD following a SARSCoV-2 infection treated by ICI and interferon-gamma associated with antifungal treatment. Read More

Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022 1;12:898619. Epub 2022 Jun 1.

Centro de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento de Fármacos, Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

is a ubiquitous and saprophytic filamentous fungus and the main etiologic agent of aspergillosis. Infections caused by culminate in a strong inflammatory response that can evolve into respiratory failure and may be lethal in immunocompromised individuals. In the last decades, it has been demonstrated that extracellular vesicles (EVs) elicit a notable biological response in immune cells. Read More

Clin Infect Dis 2022 Jun 19. Epub 2022 Jun 19.

Mycotic Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

Background: COVID-19-associated fungal infections cause severe illness, but comprehensive data on disease burden are lacking. We analyzed US National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) data to characterize disease burden, temporal trends, and demographic characteristics of persons dying from fungal infections during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: Using NVSS's January 2018-December 2021 Multiple Cause of Death Database, we examined numbers and age-adjusted rates (per 100,000 population) of fungal deaths by fungal pathogen, COVID-19 association, demographic characteristics, and year. Read More