فهرست مطالب

Current Medical Mycology
Volume:4 Issue: 3, Sep 2018

  • تاریخ انتشار: 1397/06/05
  • تعداد عناوین: 6
|
  • Azadeh Habibi *, Banafsheh Safaiefarahani Pages 1-9
    Background and Purpose: Fungal contamination in damp places in buildings has become an increasing problem worldwide. Dampness facilitates the growth of fungi, which can cause adverse effects not only on the buildings but also on their occupants. The aim of this study was to identify indoor mold species in the buildings of Kerman province, Iran.
    Materials and Methods
    In this study, 110 samples were obtained from surfaces of damp indoor areas in buildings randomly selected in Kerman province. The identification of fungal species was based on the macroscopic and microscopic characteristics of the isolates, such as colony morphology, hyphae, conidia, and conidiophores, as well as molecular sequence data.
    Results
    Based on the results, a total of 218 fungal isolates were obtained. Apart from frequently isolated fungi, such as Alternaria, Aspergillus, and Penicillium, 13 species, including Cladosporium sphaerospermum, Cladosporium herbarum, Cladosporium halotolerans, Engyodontium album, Collariella bostrychodes, Stachybotrys xigazenensis, Ramularia eucalypti, Fusarium merismoides, Fusarium solani, Ochroconis musae, Mucor racemosus, Acremonium zonatum, and Acremonium persicinum were identified, and the selected species were described. Among these 13 species, Cladosporium was the most common species (43%) in indoor surfaces, followed by Ochroconis musae (10.8%) and Engyodontium album (7.4%). To the best of our knowledge, Stachybotrys xigazenensis was reported in the present study for the first time in Iran. In addition, E. album and O. musae were isolated for the first time from indoor surfaces in Iran.
    Conclusion
    According to the results, the level of overall fungal richness across indoor surfaces was high. Some of the isolated taxa were clinically significant. It was concluded that the damp residential surfaces were potentially passive collectors of clinically significant molds.
    Keywords: Fungal diversity, Molecular identification, Mycoses
  • Maryam Akbari Dana , Parivash Kordbacheh , Roshanak Daei Ghazvini , Maryam Moazeni , Ladan Nazemi , Sasan Rezaie * Pages 10-14
    Objective
    Aflatoxin is known as one of the most important mycotoxins that threatens of human life. The toxin is produced by Aspergillus species which are common cause of contamination of agricultural products. For this reason, the use of organic compounds has always been considered in order to inhibit the growth of fungi and production of toxin. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of vitamin C on the growth rate of fungi and the level of aflR gene expression (gene responsible for aflatoxin production). Material and method: At first, Aspergillus parasiticus ATCC15517 was cultured in SDA medium containing vitamin C with concentrations of 200, 100, 50, 25, 12.5, 6.25, 3.1 mg / ml at 28 ° C for 72 hours. Then, the amount of aflatoxin produced in the presence of vitamin C was measured by HPLC method. Finally, by extracting the DNA of cultured samples, the aflR gene expression level was evaluated by real-time PCR at different concentrations of vitamin C.
    Result
    The results showed that the deformation of mycelium was started in medium with 50 mg / ml of vitamin C and only fungal spores were observed at higher concentrations. The results of measurement of toxin showed that the level of total aflatoxin and the subset of B 1, B 2, G 1 and G 2 were 5.9, 1.9, 0.2, 3.5 and 0.3 ppm in the presence of vitamin, respectively. While without the presence of vitamin C, these values were 207.5, 73.6, 4.5, 123.4, 6 ppm, respectively. Measuring the expression level of aflR genes, showed that at a concentration of 25 mg / ml of vitamin C, the level of gene expression is down 68%, and at the concentration of 50 mg / ml, the level of gene expression is decreased up to 81%.
    Conclusion
    This study showed that vitamin C, as a human-compatible compound, could be considered as a good way to keep agricultural products from fungal aflatoxin.
    Keywords: Aspergillus parasiticus, Aflatoxin, Vitamin C, aflR gene, Gene Expression
  • Anahita Ghorbani , Ashena Sadrzadeh , Emran Habibi , Kosar Dadgar , Jafar Akbari , Mahmood Moosazadeh , Hossein Bakhshi , Fatemeh Ahangarkani , Afsane Vaezi * Pages 15-18
    Background and Purpose: Denture stomatitis is a chronic inflammation disease of the oral mucosa, which is specified by erythematous lesions mainly in the upper palate. Nystatin as a polyene, a class of antifungal agents, is one of the effective drugs to treat denture stomatitis. Considering the expansion of utilizing herbal drugs to cure many kinds of diseases, the present study was conducted to investigate the effects of Camellia sinensis (green tea), which has the most chemical and influence similarity with nystatin, against denture stomatitis.
    Materials and Methods
    This study was conducted on 22 patients with a positive mycological evidence for denture stomatitis caused by Candida species. The study population was divided into two groups, namely green tea and nystatin, receiving green tea mouthwash 0.5% and nystatin suspension 100,000 U/ml, respectively. The lesion size and number of yeast colonies were measured before and after the treatment.
    Results
    According to the results, both groups showed reduced lesion size, clinical improvement, and significant reduction of Candida colony count in both group of patients were showedafter the therapeutic. Based on the results of polymerase chain reaction, Candida albicans was the most common species isolated from denture stomatitis. There was no significant difference between the two study groups in terms of Candida species distribution (P=0.700).
    Conclusion
    Green tea demonstrated a comparable anti-Candida activity with regard to nystatin; therefore, it could be recommended as an alternative treatment.
    Keywords: Camellia sinensis, Candidiasis, Denture stomatitis, Green tea, Nystatin
  • Maryam Moazeni , Mohammad Taghi Hedayati , Mojtaba Nabili * Pages 19-22
    Background and Purpose: Candida albicans is a prevalent human fungal pathogen that can cause a wide spectrum of diseases, from superficial mucosal infections to systemic disorders, in patients with impaired immunity. Glabridin is a pyranoisoflavan originally extracted from root extract of Glycyrrhiza glabra. Glabridin can also mediate apoptosis in yeast cells by changing the mitochondrial membrane potential, activation of caspase-like proteases, and DNA cleavage. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanism of action of glabridin in C. albicans.
    Materials and Methods
    Candida albicans ATCC14053 was applied as the standard strain. Total RNA was extracted from the isolate under glabridin-treated and untreated conditions. To evaluate the alternations in the apoptosis inducing factor (AIF) gene expression, real-time polymerase chain reaction (real-time -PCR) was performed, and the obtained data were analyzed using REST software.
    Results
    Expression of the AIF gene was represented as the ratio of expression relative to the reference gene. According to the REST® output, the expression of the AIF gene increased significantly (P<0.05) under the glabridin-treated condition.
    Conclusion
    Our results suggested that glabridin may induce apoptosis through the caspase-independent route and might be considered as an anti-Candida agent.
    Keywords: AIF gene, Apoptosis, Candida albicans, Glabridin
  • Firoozeh Kermani , Tahereh Shokohi*, Mahdi Abastabar , Lotfollah Davoodi , Shervin Ziabakhsh Tabari , Rozita Jalalian , Shirin Mehdipour , Roghayeh Mirzakhani Pages 23-27
    Background and Purpose: Candida endocarditis is an infrequent disease with a high mortality rate, which commonly occurs in immunosuppressed patients with cardiac valve replacement. We reported a 70-year-old woman diagnosed with Candida prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE). This study also involved a review of all published cases of Candida PVE from 1970. Case report: Herein, we reported a 70-year-old woman with the history of severe mitral stenosis and myelodysplasia syndrome. She underwent mitral valve replacement for two times. The blood cultures were positive, and phenotypic identification of the isolates at the species level was performed based on microscopic and macroscopic characteristics. In the second prosthetic valve replacement, huge fungal white and creamy vegetation was observed which was identified as Candida albicans based on the conventional and molecular methods. Despite the administration of antifungal treatments, the patient passed away probably due to the multidrug-resistant Candida PVE.
    Conclusion
    As PVE is a late consequence of prosthetic valve replacement, extended follow-up visits, early diagnosis, repeating valve replacement surgeries, and timely selective antifungal treatments are warranted.
    Keywords: Amphotericin B, Antifungal resistant, Azoles, Candida endocarditis, Multi-drug resistant, Myelodysplasia syndrome, Prosthetic valve replacement
  • Eleni Vasileiou , Athanasia Apsemidou , Timoleon, Achilleas Vyzantiadis , Athanasios Tragiannidis * Pages 28-33
    Several international and national guidelines have been proposed for the treatment and prevention of invasive candidiasis/candidemia (IC/C) in both neonatal and pediatric patients. This article is a review of the current guidelines, recommendations, and expert panel consensus of a number of associations and conferences on the prevention and management of IC and candidemia in both pediatric and neonatal patients. The investigated resources included the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the European Conference on Infection in Leukaemia, the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, the German Speaking Mycological Society/Paul-Ehrlich Society for Chemotherapy, as well as the Canadian, Middle Eastern, and Australian guidelines. Echinocandins and liposomal amphotericin B (L-AmB) are the first-line agents in the treatment of IC and candidemia both for immunocompetent and immunocompromised pediatric patients. The recommendations suggested to keep patients under sterile conditions for at least 14 days after blood cultures as the prompt initiation of antifungal treatment. Guidelines addressing the neonates recommended to use L-AmB, deoxycholate AmB (D-AmB), and fluconazole based on three main principles of no previous exposure to azoles, the prompt initiation of antifungal treatment, and control of predisposing underlying conditions. Despite minor differences among the investigated guidelines, general treatment recommendations suggest the prompt initiation of antifungal treatment and control of all predisposing underlying conditions.
    Keywords: Invasive candidiasis, Candidemia, Children, Guidelines, Neonates, Prevention, Treatment