scholarly journals First Isolation, Antifungal Susceptibility, and Molecular Characterization of Cryptococcus neoformans from the Environment in Croatia

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 99
Author(s):  
Pllana-Hajdari ◽  
Cogliati ◽  
Čičmak ◽  
Pleško ◽  
Mlinarić-Missoni ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cryptococcus Neoformans ◽  
Species Complex ◽  
Antifungal Susceptibility ◽  
Mediterranean Coast ◽  
Tree Hollows ◽  
Continental Area ◽  
Risk Of Exposure ◽  
Bird Excreta

The purpose of this study was to investigate the presence of Cryptococcus neoformans species complex isolates from environmental sources in Croatia and to determine their molecular types and antifungal susceptibility. Swab samples of tree hollows and bird excreta in the soil beneath trees were collected. Samples included 472 (92.73%) samples obtained from tree hollows and 37 (7.27%) samples from bird excreta. Four C. neoformans species complex isolates were recovered from tree hollow swabs along the Mediterranean coast, while there were no isolates recovered from bird excreta or from the continental area. Three isolates were identified as molecular types VNI and one as VNIV. All tested antifungals showed high in vitro activity against the four isolates. This is the first report proving the presence of C. neoformans species complex in the environment of Croatia. The results of the study suggest a major risk of exposure for inhabitants living along the Croatian coast and that both VNI and VNIV molecular types can be expected in clinical cases of cryptococcosis. Susceptibility to antifungals confirmed that no resistance should be expected in patients with cryptococcosis at the present time.

scholarly journals Characterization of Cryptococcus Neoformans Strains From Cases of Cryptococcal Meningitis in India

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Harish C Gugnani ◽  
Thomas G. Mitchell ◽  
Anubha Paliwal-Joshi ◽  
Ashok Rattan
Keyword(s):  
Cryptococcus Neoformans ◽  
Mating Type ◽  
Antifungal Susceptibility ◽  
In Vitro Assays ◽  
Molecular Type ◽  
Minimal Inhibitory Concentrations ◽  
Susceptibility Tests ◽  
In Vitro Antifungal Susceptibility

Reports of clinical isolates of Cryptococcus neoformans often lack information on their mating types, molecular types, and in vitro antimycotic susceptibilities. This study compares these and other related characteristics of fifteen strains of C. neoformans obtained from cases of meningitis in different regions of India. PCR was used to determine the mating type and serotype of each strain, and Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism was used for molecular typing of the strains. In vitro assays compared the proteinase and phospholipase activities of the strains, and the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) protocol was used to determine their minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) to amphotericin B (AMB), itraconazole, and fluconazole. All strains were identified as C. neoformans var. grubii (serotype A), possessed the alpha mating type, and belonged to molecular type VNII. Ten of the strains demonstrated strong proteolytic activity, and the remaining five were weakly proteolytic. Nine of the strains were positive for phospholipase. In vitro antifungal susceptibility tests, determined the MIC (µg/ml) values for AMB, itraconazole, and fluconazole to be 0.03-0.5, 0.002-03, and 2-4 µg/ml, respectively. Remarkedly, all 15 strains belonged to the relatively rare molecular type, VNII. This report is one of few studies to characterize clinical strains of C. neoformans from India.

Molecular typing, in vitro susceptibility and virulence of Cryptococcus neoformans/Cryptococcus gattii species complex clinical isolates from south‐eastern Brazil

Mycoses ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (12) ◽  
pp. 1341-1351
Author(s):  
Patrícia Helena Grizante Barião ◽  
Ludmilla Tonani ◽  
Tiago Alexandre Cocio ◽  
Roberto Martinez ◽  
Érika Nascimento ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cryptococcus Neoformans ◽  
Molecular Typing ◽  
Species Complex ◽  
Cryptococcus Gattii ◽  
Clinical Isolates ◽  
In Vitro Susceptibility ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Eastern Brazil

scholarly journals Physiological Differences in Cryptococcus neoformans Strains In Vitro versus In Vivo and Their Effects on Antifungal Susceptibility

2016 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nina T. Grossman ◽  
Arturo Casadevall
Keyword(s):  
Cryptococcus Neoformans ◽  
Cryptococcal Meningitis ◽  
Antifungal Susceptibility ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Laboratory Conditions ◽  
Physiological Differences ◽  
Sub Saharan

ABSTRACT Cryptococcus neoformans is an environmentally ubiquitous fungal pathogen that primarily causes disease in people with compromised immune systems, particularly those with advanced AIDS. There are estimated to be almost 1 million cases per year of cryptococcal meningitis in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus, leading to over 600,000 annual deaths, with a particular burden in sub-Saharan Africa. Amphotericin B (AMB) and fluconazole (FLC) are key components of cryptococcal meningitis treatment: AMB is used for induction, and FLC is for consolidation, maintenance and, for occasional individuals, prophylaxis. However, the results of standard antifungal susceptibility testing (AFST) for AMB and FLC do not correlate well with therapeutic outcomes and, consequently, no clinical breakpoints have been established. While a number of explanations for this absence of correlation have been proffered, one potential reason that has not been adequately explored is the possibility that the physiological differences between the in vivo infection environment and the in vitro AFST environment lead to disparate drug susceptibilities. These susceptibility-influencing factors include melanization, which does not occur during AFST, the size of the polysaccharide capsule, which is larger in infecting cells than in those grown under normal laboratory conditions, and the presence of large polyploid “titan cells,” which rarely occur under laboratory conditions. Understanding whether and how C. neoformans differentially expresses mechanisms of resistance to AMB and FLC in the AFST environment compared to the in vivo environment could enhance our ability to interpret AFST results and possibly lead to the development of more applicable testing methods.

Electrophoretic karyotype and in vitro antifungal susceptibility of Cryptococcus neoformans isolates from AIDS patients

1995 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 99-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Barchiesi ◽  
Richard J. Hollis ◽  
Shawn A. Messer ◽  
Giorgio Scalise ◽  
Michael G. Rinaldi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cryptococcus Neoformans ◽  
Antifungal Susceptibility ◽  
Electrophoretic Karyotype ◽  
Aids Patients ◽  
In Vitro Antifungal Susceptibility

scholarly journals Characterization of Cryptococcus neoformans isolated from urban environmental sources in Goiânia, Goiás State, Brazil

2005 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 203-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cláudia Castelo Branco Artiaga Kobayashi ◽  
Lúcia Kioko Hasimoto e Souza ◽  
Orionalda de Fátima Lisboa Fernandes ◽  
Sula Cristina Assis de Brito ◽  
Ana Cláudia Silva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cryptococcus Neoformans ◽  
Cryptococcus Species ◽  
Major Route ◽  
Opportunistic Fungal Pathogen ◽  
Ornamental Trees ◽  
Pigeon Dropping ◽  
Vegetable Material

Cryptococcus neoformans is an opportunistic fungal pathogen that causes meningoencephalitis as the most frequent clinical presentation in immunocompromised patients, mainly in people infected by HIV. This fungus is an environmental encapsulated yeast, commonly found in soil enriched with avian droppings and plant material. A total of 290 samples of pigeon and the other avian droppings, soil, ornamental trees and vegetable material associated with Eucalyptus trees were collected to study environmental sources of Cryptococcus species in Goiânia, Goiás State. The determination of varieties, serotypes and the susceptibility in vitro to fluconazole, itraconazole and amphotericin B of C. neoformans isolates were performed. C. neoformans var. grubii (serotype A) was found in 20.3% (36/177) of pigeon dropping samples and in 14.3% (5/35) of samples of Eucalyptus. None of the environmental isolates of C. neoformans showed in vitro resistance to three antifungal agents. The knowledge of major route for human cryptococcal infection (inhalation of infectious particles from saprophytic sources) and a total of 60 C. neoformans isolates obtained from AIDS patients with cryptococcal meningitis between October 2001 and April 2002 justify the study of the habitats of these yeasts as probable sources of cryptococcosis in this city.

scholarly journals Farnesol inhibits in vitro growth of the Cryptococcus neoformans species complex with no significant changes in virulence-related exoenzymes

2012 ◽  
Vol 159 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 375-380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rossana de Aguiar Cordeiro ◽  
George Cândido Nogueira ◽  
Raimunda Sâmia Nogueira Brilhante ◽  
Carlos Eduardo Cordeiro Teixeira ◽  
Charles Ielpo Mourão ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cryptococcus Neoformans ◽  
Species Complex ◽  
In Vitro Growth
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document