{"title":"Unveiling Lodderomyces elongisporus as an Emerging Yeast Pathogen: A Holistic Approach to Microbiological Diagnostic Strategies.","authors":"Watcharamat Muangkaew, Natthapaninee Thanomsridetchai, Marut Tangwattanachuleeporn, Sumate Ampawong, Passanesh Sukphopetch","doi":"10.1007/s11046-024-00901-x","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Lodderomyces elongisporus, first isolated in 1952, has increasingly been recognized as a significant pathogen, with a notable rise in human infections since the 1970s. Initially misidentified as Candida parapsilosis due to morphological similarities, L. elongisporus has now been conclusively established as a distinct species, largely due to advancements in molecular biology, particularly DNA sequencing. This review traces the detection history of L. elongisporus, from the earliest documented cases to the most recent reports, underscoring its role as a causative agent in human infections. It also explores therapeutic strategies that have demonstrated efficacy, alongside instances of environmental contamination reported in international literature. A critical evaluation of diagnostic methodologies essential for precise identification is provided, including culture-based techniques such as colony morphology on Sabouraud Dextrose Agar (SDA) and chromogenic media, coupled with microscopic assessments using Lactophenol Cotton Blue (LPCB) and Gram staining. The ultrastructure of L. elongisporus, as observed under Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), is also discussed. Furthermore, non-culture-based diagnostics, such as sugar utilization tests (API 20C AUX and the innovative in-house arabinose-based \"Loddy\" test) and antifungal susceptibility profiling, are reviewed, with a particular focus on molecular tools like ITS-DNA sequencing and MALDI-TOF MS, which, despite their higher costs, offer unparalleled specificity. The accurate distinction and characterization of L. elongisporus are paramount, particularly in vulnerable and immunocompromised patients, where misdiagnosis can lead to severe consequences. This review advocates for intensified research efforts to develop more accessible diagnostic tools and deepen our understanding of this emerging pathogen, ultimately aiming to improve patient outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":19017,"journal":{"name":"Mycopathologia","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.6000,"publicationDate":"2024-10-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11519285/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Mycopathologia","FirstCategoryId":"99","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-024-00901-x","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"MYCOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Lodderomyces elongisporus, first isolated in 1952, has increasingly been recognized as a significant pathogen, with a notable rise in human infections since the 1970s. Initially misidentified as Candida parapsilosis due to morphological similarities, L. elongisporus has now been conclusively established as a distinct species, largely due to advancements in molecular biology, particularly DNA sequencing. This review traces the detection history of L. elongisporus, from the earliest documented cases to the most recent reports, underscoring its role as a causative agent in human infections. It also explores therapeutic strategies that have demonstrated efficacy, alongside instances of environmental contamination reported in international literature. A critical evaluation of diagnostic methodologies essential for precise identification is provided, including culture-based techniques such as colony morphology on Sabouraud Dextrose Agar (SDA) and chromogenic media, coupled with microscopic assessments using Lactophenol Cotton Blue (LPCB) and Gram staining. The ultrastructure of L. elongisporus, as observed under Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), is also discussed. Furthermore, non-culture-based diagnostics, such as sugar utilization tests (API 20C AUX and the innovative in-house arabinose-based "Loddy" test) and antifungal susceptibility profiling, are reviewed, with a particular focus on molecular tools like ITS-DNA sequencing and MALDI-TOF MS, which, despite their higher costs, offer unparalleled specificity. The accurate distinction and characterization of L. elongisporus are paramount, particularly in vulnerable and immunocompromised patients, where misdiagnosis can lead to severe consequences. This review advocates for intensified research efforts to develop more accessible diagnostic tools and deepen our understanding of this emerging pathogen, ultimately aiming to improve patient outcomes.
期刊介绍:
Mycopathologia is an official journal of the International Union of Microbiological Societies (IUMS). Mycopathologia was founded in 1938 with the mission to ‘diffuse the understanding of fungal diseases in man and animals among mycologists’. Many of the milestones discoveries in the field of medical mycology have been communicated through the pages of this journal. Mycopathologia covers a diverse, interdisciplinary range of topics that is unique in breadth and depth. The journal publishes peer-reviewed, original articles highlighting important developments concerning medically important fungi and fungal diseases. The journal highlights important developments in fungal systematics and taxonomy, laboratory diagnosis of fungal infections, antifungal drugs, clinical presentation and treatment, and epidemiology of fungal diseases globally. Timely opinion articles, mini-reviews, and other communications are usually invited at the discretion of the editorial board. Unique case reports highlighting unprecedented progress in the diagnosis and treatment of fungal infections, are published in every issue of the journal. MycopathologiaIMAGE is another regular feature for a brief clinical report of potential interest to a mixed audience of physicians and laboratory scientists. MycopathologiaGENOME is designed for the rapid publication of new genomes of human and animal pathogenic fungi using a checklist-based, standardized format.