Numbers of infections with azole-resistant Aspergillus fumigatus (ARAf) were rising in the last decades. We assessed ARAf susceptibility trends towards five antifungal agents (amphotericin B (AMB), itraconazole (ITR), voriconazole (VCZ), olorofim (OLO) and manogepix (MGX)) over twelve years in a German Excellence Center for Medical Mycology (ECMM). In addition, underlying mutations were studied and correlated with trends in minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). Broth microdilution (BMD) was performed following EUCAST guidelines for 143 clinical ARAf isolates collected between the years 2011 and 2022 in a West German tertiary care centre. BMD was carried out for all antifungal agents in the following concentration ranges: 0.016-8 mg/L for AMB, ITR and VCZ as well as 0.001-0.5 mg/L for OLO and 0.004-2 mg/L for MGX. Molecular assays on mutations associated with antifungal resistance were performed for all 143 isolates (AsperGenius® 1.0, Pathonostics, Maastricht, The Netherlands) and for a total of ten non TR34/L98H and TR46/Y121F/T289A mutated ARAf isolates additional cyp51A sequencing was carried out. For all isolates, microdilution revealed a MIC50 of > 8 mg/L for ITR, 4 mg/L for VCZ, 0.03 mg/L for OLO, 0.016 mg/L for MGX, and 0.5 mg/L for AMB. Considering EUCAST breakpoints, 97.9% of the strains (n = 140) were resistant to VCZ, 1.4% (n = 2) towards AMB and 92.3% towards ITR (n = 132). Molecular assays revealed 123 (86%) isolates with the azole resistance underlying mutation TR34/L98H, 10 (7%) with a TR46/Y121F/T289A mutation and 10 (7%) with other cyp51A mutations. A comparison of triazole MICs of isolates collected from 2011 to 2019 with the MICs of isolates collected between 2020 and 2022 revealed no significant differences for itraconazole (p = 0.543) and for voriconazole (p = 0.148),with a trend of increased geometric mean for ITR and VCZ MICs over time. MICs for OLO and MGX did not significantly differ between isolates with the distinct azole-resistance underlying mutations. Before 2016, the azole resistance underlying mutations were mainly TR34/L98H, but the portion of isolates with TR46/Y121F/T289A and other Cyp51A mutated isolates increased afterwards. We showed almost stable MICs for ITR and VCZ over twelve years in ARAf isolates from West Germany while occurring azole resistance underlying mutations varied with an increase in the proportion of TR46/Y121F/T289A and other Cyp51A mutations after 2016.
{"title":"Trends of Azole-Resistant Aspergillus Fumigatus Susceptibility Over 12 Years from a German ECMM Excellence Center.","authors":"Hedda Luise Verhasselt, Lara Thissen, Ulrike Scharmann, Silke Dittmer, Peter-Michael Rath, Joerg Steinmann, Lisa Kirchhoff","doi":"10.1007/s11046-025-00941-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11046-025-00941-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Numbers of infections with azole-resistant Aspergillus fumigatus (ARAf) were rising in the last decades. We assessed ARAf susceptibility trends towards five antifungal agents (amphotericin B (AMB), itraconazole (ITR), voriconazole (VCZ), olorofim (OLO) and manogepix (MGX)) over twelve years in a German Excellence Center for Medical Mycology (ECMM). In addition, underlying mutations were studied and correlated with trends in minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). Broth microdilution (BMD) was performed following EUCAST guidelines for 143 clinical ARAf isolates collected between the years 2011 and 2022 in a West German tertiary care centre. BMD was carried out for all antifungal agents in the following concentration ranges: 0.016-8 mg/L for AMB, ITR and VCZ as well as 0.001-0.5 mg/L for OLO and 0.004-2 mg/L for MGX. Molecular assays on mutations associated with antifungal resistance were performed for all 143 isolates (AsperGenius® 1.0, Pathonostics, Maastricht, The Netherlands) and for a total of ten non TR<sub>34</sub>/L98H and TR<sub>46</sub>/Y121F/T289A mutated ARAf isolates additional cyp51A sequencing was carried out. For all isolates, microdilution revealed a MIC<sub>50</sub> of > 8 mg/L for ITR, 4 mg/L for VCZ, 0.03 mg/L for OLO, 0.016 mg/L for MGX, and 0.5 mg/L for AMB. Considering EUCAST breakpoints, 97.9% of the strains (n = 140) were resistant to VCZ, 1.4% (n = 2) towards AMB and 92.3% towards ITR (n = 132). Molecular assays revealed 123 (86%) isolates with the azole resistance underlying mutation TR<sub>34</sub>/L98H, 10 (7%) with a TR<sub>46</sub>/Y121F/T289A mutation and 10 (7%) with other cyp51A mutations. A comparison of triazole MICs of isolates collected from 2011 to 2019 with the MICs of isolates collected between 2020 and 2022 revealed no significant differences for itraconazole (p = 0.543) and for voriconazole (p = 0.148),with a trend of increased geometric mean for ITR and VCZ MICs over time. MICs for OLO and MGX did not significantly differ between isolates with the distinct azole-resistance underlying mutations. Before 2016, the azole resistance underlying mutations were mainly TR<sub>34</sub>/L98H, but the portion of isolates with TR<sub>46</sub>/Y121F/T289A and other Cyp51A mutated isolates increased afterwards. We showed almost stable MICs for ITR and VCZ over twelve years in ARAf isolates from West Germany while occurring azole resistance underlying mutations varied with an increase in the proportion of TR<sub>46</sub>/Y121F/T289A and other Cyp51A mutations after 2016.</p>","PeriodicalId":19017,"journal":{"name":"Mycopathologia","volume":"190 2","pages":"34"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143788667","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-04-04DOI: 10.1007/s11046-025-00942-w
Elaine C Francisco, Marie Desnos-Ollivier, Bert Gerrits van den Ende, Ferry Hagen
Trichosporon austroamericanum is a recently described species recognized for its emerging clinical significance in invasive trichosporonosis. In this study, we present the nanopore long-read-based de novo genome assembly of the type-strain CBS 17435. Additionally, we performed genomic comparative analyses with its closest relative, Trichosporon inkin.
{"title":"De Novo Genome Assembly and Comparative Genome Analysis of the Novel Human Fungal Pathogen Trichosporon austroamericanum Type-Strain CBS 17435.","authors":"Elaine C Francisco, Marie Desnos-Ollivier, Bert Gerrits van den Ende, Ferry Hagen","doi":"10.1007/s11046-025-00942-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11046-025-00942-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Trichosporon austroamericanum is a recently described species recognized for its emerging clinical significance in invasive trichosporonosis. In this study, we present the nanopore long-read-based de novo genome assembly of the type-strain CBS 17435. Additionally, we performed genomic comparative analyses with its closest relative, Trichosporon inkin.</p>","PeriodicalId":19017,"journal":{"name":"Mycopathologia","volume":"190 2","pages":"33"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11971232/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143780664","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-04-03DOI: 10.1007/s11046-025-00939-5
Engin Kaplan, Oğuzhan Bingöl, Hazal Kandemir, Ayşe Sultan Karakoyun, Murat Durdu, Macit Ilkit
Trichophyton indotineae, formerly known as T. mentagrophytes internal transcribed spacer (ITS) genotype VIII, has been recognized over the last decade due to its high virulence and resistance to treatment. Its accurate identification in routine mycology laboratories remains challenging, as it shares phenotypic traits and substantial rDNA ITS similarity with T. mentagrophytes and T. interdigitale. This study aimed to identify more divergent and stable sequences via whole-genome comparisons between T. indotineae and T. interdigitale to facilitate highly specific targeting of T. indotineae using a validated quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR)-based method. Our whole-genome comparison revealed at least 22 unique sequences of T. indotineae compared to T. interdigitale and revealed the divergence of the former from the reference genomes of other Trichophyton species. Among these, a 499 bp segment was identified as the most genetically distinct sequence within the T. indotineae genome. Seventy-three dermatophyte strains [T. indotineae (n = 66), non-T. indotineae (n = 7)], were tested using our qPCR assay targeting the above-mentioned stable 499-bp region. Regarding analytical performance, our T. indotineae-specific qPCR assay exhibited high sensitivity (93.3%) and specificity (100%), with a detection limit of ~ 15 genomic copies. Our approach has the potential to establish highly sensitive and specific qPCR assays without relying on specialized assay designs for single nucleotide polymorphisms in the ITS or other loci. This approach offers a practical solution for updating molecular diagnostics, particularly for novel taxa such as T. indotineae, for which limited gene data are available in public databases.
indotineae 毛癣菌以前被称为 T. mentagrophytes 内部转录间隔(ITS)基因型 VIII,在过去十年中,由于其毒力强、耐药性强,已被人们所认识。由于它与T. mentagrophytes和T. interdigitale具有相同的表型特征和大量的rDNA ITS相似性,因此在常规真菌学实验室中对其进行准确鉴定仍具有挑战性。本研究的目的是通过全基因组比较来鉴定 T. indotineae 和 T. interdigitale 之间更多的差异和稳定序列,以便使用基于验证的定量聚合酶链式反应(qPCR)方法对 T. indotineae 进行高度特异性定位。我们的全基因组比较发现,与T. interdigitale相比,T. indotineae至少有22个独特的序列,并揭示了前者与其他毛癣菌种参考基因组的差异。其中,一个 499 bp 的片段被确定为 T. indotineae 基因组中基因最独特的序列。我们使用针对上述稳定的 499 bp 区段的 qPCR 分析方法对 73 个皮癣菌株[T. indotineae(n = 66),非 T. indotineae(n = 7)]进行了测试。在分析性能方面,我们的 T. indotineae 特异性 qPCR 检测方法表现出较高的灵敏度(93.3%)和特异性(100%),检测限约为 15 个基因组拷贝。我们的方法具有建立高灵敏度和特异性 qPCR 检测的潜力,而无需依赖针对 ITS 或其他位点单核苷酸多态性的专门检测设计。这种方法为更新分子诊断提供了切实可行的解决方案,特别是对于新的类群,如 T. indotineae,因为公共数据库中的基因数据有限。
{"title":"qPCR-Based Molecular Detection of Trichophyton indotineae by Targeting Divergent Sequences.","authors":"Engin Kaplan, Oğuzhan Bingöl, Hazal Kandemir, Ayşe Sultan Karakoyun, Murat Durdu, Macit Ilkit","doi":"10.1007/s11046-025-00939-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11046-025-00939-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Trichophyton indotineae, formerly known as T. mentagrophytes internal transcribed spacer (ITS) genotype VIII, has been recognized over the last decade due to its high virulence and resistance to treatment. Its accurate identification in routine mycology laboratories remains challenging, as it shares phenotypic traits and substantial rDNA ITS similarity with T. mentagrophytes and T. interdigitale. This study aimed to identify more divergent and stable sequences via whole-genome comparisons between T. indotineae and T. interdigitale to facilitate highly specific targeting of T. indotineae using a validated quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR)-based method. Our whole-genome comparison revealed at least 22 unique sequences of T. indotineae compared to T. interdigitale and revealed the divergence of the former from the reference genomes of other Trichophyton species. Among these, a 499 bp segment was identified as the most genetically distinct sequence within the T. indotineae genome. Seventy-three dermatophyte strains [T. indotineae (n = 66), non-T. indotineae (n = 7)], were tested using our qPCR assay targeting the above-mentioned stable 499-bp region. Regarding analytical performance, our T. indotineae-specific qPCR assay exhibited high sensitivity (93.3%) and specificity (100%), with a detection limit of ~ 15 genomic copies. Our approach has the potential to establish highly sensitive and specific qPCR assays without relying on specialized assay designs for single nucleotide polymorphisms in the ITS or other loci. This approach offers a practical solution for updating molecular diagnostics, particularly for novel taxa such as T. indotineae, for which limited gene data are available in public databases.</p>","PeriodicalId":19017,"journal":{"name":"Mycopathologia","volume":"190 2","pages":"32"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11968514/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143772585","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-03-21DOI: 10.1007/s11046-025-00938-6
H Lamberink, J Heijmans, A Wagemakers, K van Dijk
{"title":"Publisher Correction: Iron Levels in Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid of Hematological Patients with Suspected Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis and their Association with 12‑week Mortality: A Retrospective Cohort Study.","authors":"H Lamberink, J Heijmans, A Wagemakers, K van Dijk","doi":"10.1007/s11046-025-00938-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11046-025-00938-6","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":19017,"journal":{"name":"Mycopathologia","volume":"190 2","pages":"31"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11928359/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143674244","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Background: Mucormycosis, a fungal emergency, poses a serious threat to both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 individuals due to its invasive nature, rapid progression, and high rates of morbidity and mortality. This underscores the crucial need for timely detection and management. In this study, we investigated the utility of real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) assays for detecting Mucorales in clinical specimens, and assessed the performance of both SYBR Green and TaqMan probe RT-qPCR in amplifying Mucorales-specific 18S rDNA genes. We conducted accuracy analyses using direct examination with KOH as a standard for the laboratory diagnosis of mucormycosis. Additionally, we compared the results with culture and duplex PCR.
Patients/methods: Both SYBR Green and TaqMan RT-qPCR were optimized using Mucorales-specific oligonucleotides to amplify the conserved 18S rDNA targets. DNAs extracted from 120 rhino sinus specimens, which all were collected from COVID-19 patients upon suspicion of invasive fungal infections, were used for molecular diagnosis. The results of both RT-qPCR assays were compared with the result of direct microscopy, culture, and duplex Mucorales-specific PCR assay.
Results: SYBR Green real-time PCR produced a distinct melting temperature (Tm) pattern (80.24 ± 0.70 °C) and detected Mucorales in 51 out of 120 clinical samples. When compared to direct examination with KOH, the standard method for diagnosing mucormycosis, SYBR Green PCR demonstrated a sensitivity of 91.67% (95% confidence interval (CI): 86.7-96.5%) and a specificity of 90.28% (95% CI: 84.9-95.5%). In contrast, TaqMan-probe PCR identified Mucorales in 34 out of 120 samples, with a sensitivity of 64.58% (95% CI: 56-73.1%) and a specificity of 95.83% (95% CI: 92.26-99.39%).
Conclusion: SYBR Green-based PCR can be used as a reliable confirmatory test for diagnosing mucormycosis, particularly in cases with atypical hyphae, mixed infections (featuring both septate and non-septate hyphae), or when the direct examination is positive but culture results are negative. The lower sensitivity of the TaqMan-probe PCR may be attributed to factors such as using a degenerate probe, which can lead to false-negative results.
{"title":"Molecular Assays Versus Mycological Methods for Diagnosis of Rhino Orbital Mucormycosis: Analysis of 120 Clinical Specimens from COVID-19 Patients.","authors":"Sajedeh Soltani, Mahzad Erami, Kazem Ahmadikia, Shima Aboutalebian, Faezeh Rouhi, Mojtaba Fakhrehi, Reza Mohammadi Manesh, Hossein Mirhendi","doi":"10.1007/s11046-025-00937-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-025-00937-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Mucormycosis, a fungal emergency, poses a serious threat to both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 individuals due to its invasive nature, rapid progression, and high rates of morbidity and mortality. This underscores the crucial need for timely detection and management. In this study, we investigated the utility of real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) assays for detecting Mucorales in clinical specimens, and assessed the performance of both SYBR Green and TaqMan probe RT-qPCR in amplifying Mucorales-specific 18S rDNA genes. We conducted accuracy analyses using direct examination with KOH as a standard for the laboratory diagnosis of mucormycosis. Additionally, we compared the results with culture and duplex PCR.</p><p><strong>Patients/methods: </strong>Both SYBR Green and TaqMan RT-qPCR were optimized using Mucorales-specific oligonucleotides to amplify the conserved 18S rDNA targets. DNAs extracted from 120 rhino sinus specimens, which all were collected from COVID-19 patients upon suspicion of invasive fungal infections, were used for molecular diagnosis. The results of both RT-qPCR assays were compared with the result of direct microscopy, culture, and duplex Mucorales-specific PCR assay.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>SYBR Green real-time PCR produced a distinct melting temperature (Tm) pattern (80.24 ± 0.70 °C) and detected Mucorales in 51 out of 120 clinical samples. When compared to direct examination with KOH, the standard method for diagnosing mucormycosis, SYBR Green PCR demonstrated a sensitivity of 91.67% (95% confidence interval (CI): 86.7-96.5%) and a specificity of 90.28% (95% CI: 84.9-95.5%). In contrast, TaqMan-probe PCR identified Mucorales in 34 out of 120 samples, with a sensitivity of 64.58% (95% CI: 56-73.1%) and a specificity of 95.83% (95% CI: 92.26-99.39%).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>SYBR Green-based PCR can be used as a reliable confirmatory test for diagnosing mucormycosis, particularly in cases with atypical hyphae, mixed infections (featuring both septate and non-septate hyphae), or when the direct examination is positive but culture results are negative. The lower sensitivity of the TaqMan-probe PCR may be attributed to factors such as using a degenerate probe, which can lead to false-negative results.</p>","PeriodicalId":19017,"journal":{"name":"Mycopathologia","volume":"190 2","pages":"30"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143567754","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-28DOI: 10.1007/s11046-025-00936-8
Ying Ji, Yalong Li, Weiwei Wu, Sybren de Hoog, Zhe Wan, Qian Wang, Hao Zhang, Jin Yu, Xueke Niu, Ruoyu Li, Wei Liu, Yinggai Song
Background: Inherited genetic deficiencies in the Caspase-associated recruitment domain-containing protein 9 (CARD9) lead to increased susceptibility of patients to opportunistic melanized fungi. Such infections are recalcitrant, and the fungus possibly acquires resistance under therapy.
Objective: To evaluate differences of in vitro antifungal susceptibility of strains of melanized fungi originating from patients with CARD9 deficiency versus strains from chronic patients with unclear genetic background.
Methods: We analyzed a total of 118 isolates, including 33 from patients with CARD9 deficiency, 80 from chronic patients with other undefined immunological features, and 5 environmental strains, all collected between 1997 and 2021. All isolates were identified by sequencing the ITS spacer of the rDNA operon. Broth microdilution susceptibility tests were performed according to CLSI guidelines (M38-A3document).
Results: MIC ranges of strains from infected patients having CARD9 deficiency and other individuals were mostly similar. However, comparing these two groups, the GM MICs of posaconazole, amphotericin B and fluconazole in the CARD9 group were statistically higher and the GM MICs of terbinafine lower than those of undefined genetic background group. The FICI of the CARD9 group were higher than those of the undefined group in the combination of caspofungin plus amphotericin B and amphotericin B plus fluconazole, but lower than the undefined group in the combination of itraconazole plus terbinafine.
Conclusions: The GM MICs for posaconazole, amphotericin B, and fluconazole were significantly elevated in the CARD9 group compared to the group with undefined chronic infections. For patients with refractory infections, conducting susceptibility testing before treatment can optimize the selection of the most effective therapeutic agent, and the combination therapy of caspofungin with amphotericin B or itraconazole may be considered the preferred treatment option.
{"title":"Antifungal Susceptibility of Melanized Fungi Isolated from CARD9 Deficient Patients: Implications for Treatment of Refractory Infections.","authors":"Ying Ji, Yalong Li, Weiwei Wu, Sybren de Hoog, Zhe Wan, Qian Wang, Hao Zhang, Jin Yu, Xueke Niu, Ruoyu Li, Wei Liu, Yinggai Song","doi":"10.1007/s11046-025-00936-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-025-00936-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Inherited genetic deficiencies in the Caspase-associated recruitment domain-containing protein 9 (CARD9) lead to increased susceptibility of patients to opportunistic melanized fungi. Such infections are recalcitrant, and the fungus possibly acquires resistance under therapy.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To evaluate differences of in vitro antifungal susceptibility of strains of melanized fungi originating from patients with CARD9 deficiency versus strains from chronic patients with unclear genetic background.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We analyzed a total of 118 isolates, including 33 from patients with CARD9 deficiency, 80 from chronic patients with other undefined immunological features, and 5 environmental strains, all collected between 1997 and 2021. All isolates were identified by sequencing the ITS spacer of the rDNA operon. Broth microdilution susceptibility tests were performed according to CLSI guidelines (M38-A3document).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>MIC ranges of strains from infected patients having CARD9 deficiency and other individuals were mostly similar. However, comparing these two groups, the GM MICs of posaconazole, amphotericin B and fluconazole in the CARD9 group were statistically higher and the GM MICs of terbinafine lower than those of undefined genetic background group. The FICI of the CARD9 group were higher than those of the undefined group in the combination of caspofungin plus amphotericin B and amphotericin B plus fluconazole, but lower than the undefined group in the combination of itraconazole plus terbinafine.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The GM MICs for posaconazole, amphotericin B, and fluconazole were significantly elevated in the CARD9 group compared to the group with undefined chronic infections. For patients with refractory infections, conducting susceptibility testing before treatment can optimize the selection of the most effective therapeutic agent, and the combination therapy of caspofungin with amphotericin B or itraconazole may be considered the preferred treatment option.</p>","PeriodicalId":19017,"journal":{"name":"Mycopathologia","volume":"190 2","pages":"29"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143531674","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Understanding the ecological characteristics and environmental factors of migratory songbirds is essential for their conservation as well as pathogen management that may cross ecological and political boundaries. In this study, we conducted a bird trapping and banding survey and report on fungal DNA detected from birds with putative fungal skin infections. We analyzed the mycobiome of mycelia-like skin crusts of the yellow-throated bunting (Emberiza elegans), a common migratory songbird with declining population in Korea, using DNA metabarcoding targeting the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) region, the actin (ACT) gene, and the translation elongation factor 1 - α (TEF) gene. Our analysis revealed that Cladosporium was the predominant genus (~ 60% sequence reads) in fungal mycelia-like tissues on the skins of yellow-throated buntings and detected a large number of DNA sequences similar to those of species belonging to the Cladosporium cladosporioides species complex. This is the first study to report possible infection in buntings by Cladosporium, including species known to infect humans and other animals. Further research on the causal relationship between birds and fungi is needed for pathogen management and conservation of Asian songbirds along the migration flyway.
{"title":"Prevalence of the Cladosporium cladosporioides Species Complex in the Mycelia-Like Skin Crusts of Migratory Yellow-Throated Buntings (Emberiza elegans) in Korea.","authors":"Seung-Kyung Lee, Se-Young Park, Hwa-Yeon Kang, Se-Jeong Han, Hyun-Young Nam, Chang-Yong Choi, Naomichi Yamamoto","doi":"10.1007/s11046-025-00935-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11046-025-00935-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Understanding the ecological characteristics and environmental factors of migratory songbirds is essential for their conservation as well as pathogen management that may cross ecological and political boundaries. In this study, we conducted a bird trapping and banding survey and report on fungal DNA detected from birds with putative fungal skin infections. We analyzed the mycobiome of mycelia-like skin crusts of the yellow-throated bunting (Emberiza elegans), a common migratory songbird with declining population in Korea, using DNA metabarcoding targeting the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) region, the actin (ACT) gene, and the translation elongation factor 1 - α (TEF) gene. Our analysis revealed that Cladosporium was the predominant genus (~ 60% sequence reads) in fungal mycelia-like tissues on the skins of yellow-throated buntings and detected a large number of DNA sequences similar to those of species belonging to the Cladosporium cladosporioides species complex. This is the first study to report possible infection in buntings by Cladosporium, including species known to infect humans and other animals. Further research on the causal relationship between birds and fungi is needed for pathogen management and conservation of Asian songbirds along the migration flyway.</p>","PeriodicalId":19017,"journal":{"name":"Mycopathologia","volume":"190 2","pages":"28"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11868249/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143516149","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}