Challenging Fungal Infections in Cystic Fibrosis: a Case of Mixed Aspergillus Species Infection and Antifungal Combination Testing

Overview

Journal Access Microbiol

Specialty Microbiology

Date 2024 May 13

PMID 38737802

Authors

Lais Pontes

Franqueline Reichert-Lima

Ana Luisa Perini Leme Giordano

Maria Luiza Moretti

Angelica Zaninelli Schreiber

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

stands as the predominant fungal genus in the airways of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, significantly contributing to their morbidity and mortality. represents the primary causative species for infections, though the emergence of rare species within the section has become noteworthy. Among these, is particularly significant due to its frequent misidentification and intrinsic resistance to azole antifungal agents. In the management of invasive aspergillosis and resistant infections, combination antifungal therapy has proven to be an effective approach. This report documents a case involving the death of a CF patient due to a pulmonary exacerbation linked to the colonization of multiple species, including , , and , and treated with Itraconazole (ITC) monotherapy. We delineated the procedures used to characterize the isolates in clinical settings and simulated the impact of the combination antifungal therapy on the isolates obtained from the patient. We evaluated three different combinations: Amphotericin B (AMB)+Voriconazole (VRC), AMB+Anidulafungin (AND), and VRC+AND. Notably, all strains isolated from the patient exhibited a significant decrease in their minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) or minimum effective concentration (MEC) values when treated with all antifungal combinations. The VRC+AMB combination demonstrated the most synergistic effects. This case report emphasizes the critical importance of susceptibility testing and precise identification of species to enhance patient prognosis. It also underscores the potential benefits of combined antifungal treatment, which, in this case, could have led to a more favourable patient outcome.

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