21-year retrospective study of the prevalence of Scopulariopsis brevicaulis in patients suspected of superficial mycoses

Introduction: In the genus Scopulariopsis, Scopulariopsis brevicaulis is the most common aetiological agent of infections in humans. It usually affects nails and is one of the commonest moulds associated with onychomycoses. Other forms of infections (skin, subcutaneous, deep tissues, and disseminated infections) have also been described. Aim: To examine the prevalence of S. brevicaulis in clinical materials obtained from patients suspected of keratinized tissues mycoses. Material and methods: The analysis of the prevalence of S. brevicaulis in clinical specimens was based on mycological test's results carried out for patients who were referred with a suspicion of superficial mycoses to the Department of Mycology, Chair of Microbiology, Jagiellonian University Medical College from 1992 till 2012. Results: In the years 1992-2012 16,815 clinical samples (nail scrapings, nail swabs, skin scrapings, skin swabs, hair) were collected. Pathogenic fungi were detected in 7193 samples and S. brevicaulis was present in 255 (3.5%). The prevalence of S. brevicaulis in males and females was comparable. The species was most often isolated from toenails (80%), both from males and females. In the analysed period we observed a decrease in the prevalence of S. brevicaulis. In most cases (60%) S. brevicaulis occurred alone in 40% of S. brevicaulis positive cultures, other fungi were also isolated. The fungi most frequently isolated with S. brevicaulis were Trichophyton rubrum, T. mentagrophytes, Penicillium sp., Candida sp., and Aspergillus sp. Conclusions: Scopulariopsis brevicaulis is not a common cause of superficial fungal infections of keratinized tissues, but is a typical mould associated with toenail onychomycosis. A proper identification of this species in onychomycoses is essential for the implementation of effective antifungal therapy

Occurrence of fungi and cytotoxicity of the species : aspergillus ochraceus, Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus isolated from the air of hospital wards

Objectives: The basic care requirement for patients with weakened immune systems is to create the environment where the risk of mycosis is reduced to a minimum. Material and Methods: Between 2007 and 2013 air samples were collected from various wards of a number of hospitals in Kraków, Poland, by means of the collision method using MAS-100 Iso MH Microbial Air Sampler (Merck Millipore, Germany). The air mycobiota contained several species of fungi, and almost 1/3 of it was made up of the species of the Aspergillus genus. Sixty-one strains of species other than A. fumigatus were selected for the research purposes, namely: 28 strains of A. ochraceus, 22 strains of A. niger and 11 strains of A. flavus species. Selected fungi underwent a cytotoxicity evaluation with the application of the MTT colorimetric assay (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5- diphenyltetrazolium bromide). The assay assesses cell viability by means of reducing the yellow tetrazolium salt to insoluble formazan. A semi-quantitative scale for cytotoxicity grading was adopted: low cytotoxic effect (+) with half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) for values ranging from 31.251 cm2/ml to 7.813 cm2/ml, medium cytotoxic effect (++) for values ranging from 3.906 cm2/ml to 0.977 cm2/ml and the high one (+++) for values ranging from 0.488 cm2/ml to 0.061 cm2/ml. The absence of cytotoxicity was determined when the IC50 values was at ≥ 50. Results: For 48 samples the analyzed fungi displayed the cytotoxic effect with A. ochraceus in 26 out of 28 cases, with 11 strains displaying the high cytotoxic effect. The lowest cytotoxicity was displayed by fungi of A. niger in 13 out of 22 cases, and the major fungi of A. flavus species were toxic (9 out of 11 cases). Conclusions: A half of the fungi displayed the low cytotoxic effect. On the basis of the comparison of average cytotoxicity levels it was determined that there were significant differences in the levels of cytotoxicity of the analyzed fungi. However, such statement may not provide grounds for a definite conclusion about the compared species of fungi that display a more cytotoxic effect than others. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2017;30(2):231–23

Distribution of Malassezia species in patients with atopic dermatitis : quality assessment

The fungi Malassezia are a constituent of the skin microbiota in humans and some animals. The fungi may cause skin diseases or even organ and/or generalized infections in the presence of appropriate predisposing factors. To evaluate the occurrence of Malassezia fungi on the skin in patients with psoriasis and search for a relationship between the occurrence of Malassezia and the severity of skin lesions, age and sex of the patients. The materials comprised smears sampled from four sites: scalp, face, chest and back. Malassezia spp. were isolated in cultures on modified Dixon medium and identified on the basis of morphological and biochemical features. Malassezia spp. were isolated in 55.1% of the patients. The fungi were most prevalent on the back (33.3%) and least on the scalp (17.5%) and face (19%). The prevalence on the chest was 30.2%. In the group of patients with AD localized to the head and neck Malassezia spp. were cultured in 71.4% of patients. No statistically significant differences were found between Malassezia prevalence in males vs. females. No relationship with the patients' age was found. Higher values of the atopic dermatitis severity index (SCORAD) were found in the patients in whom Malassezia spp. were isolated. Malassezia spp. were particularly common in the group of patients with AD localized to the head and neck

Prevalence of dermatophytes in interdigital spaces in HIV patients

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), both are related to higher prevalence of mycoses, especially oral candidosis, but also superficial mycoses. Fungal infections of the skin and its appendages are the most frequent dermatological complications in HIV patients and clinical manifestations of those infections are often atypical and more severe than in immunocompetent individuals. The purpose of the study was evaluation of the presence of dermatophytes in foot interdigital spaces in HIV patients in relation with various factors concerning the patient. The population under study were patients at the Infectious Diseases Clinic. The research comprised filling in questionnaires, physical examinations, evaluation of immunological status, and mycological examination of swabs from interdigital spaces. Out of the 120 HIV infected patients under study, foot skin lesions were observed in 40 cases (33.3%) while dermatophytes were isolated from 12 patients (10%). Trichophyton mentagrophytes was isolated from 7 patients (5.8%), and Trichophyton rubrum from 6 (5.0%); both of the species were isolated from 1 patient. The prevalence of dermatophytes did not depend on the patient’s sex, sexual orientation, CD4 cells count, HCV co-infection, antiretroviral therapy nor clinical manifestations on the feet. The prevalence of dermatophytes in foot interdigital spaces in HIV patients amounted to 10% (similarly as in imunocompetent individuals) and did not depend significantly on any of the factors tested. It appears that contact with the fungi is the main factor responsible for infection

Fungal contamination of ward furnishings and medical equipment used in the treatment and nursing of newborns

Introduction and objective. Newborn babies staying on hospital wards are likely to be colonized by microorganisms, including potentially pathogenic fungi. The aim of the study was to assess the mycological purity of hospital wards and medical equipment utilized in the treatment and nursing of newborns. Materials and method. The study was conducted in Neonatal High Dependency Units (NHDU) and Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU). 539 samples were collected from 24 different sources, 130 from ward furnishings and 289 from medical equipment. The study was carried out following the microbiology research methods for sample collection. Subsequently, the samples (swabs, water from incubators, washings from respirator tubes and nasal cannulas (nCPAP)) were cultivated on Sabouraud agar plates. The stamps were collected with the application of Count-Tact method. The samples were incubated at the temperature of 25+/-2oC and the number of fungi assessed (cfu/cm-2 of the surface area). The species were identified based on their morphological and biochemical features. Results. Fungal growth was observed on 60% of samples collected from ward furnishings and 7% of samples collected from medical equipment. The average number of cfu/cm-2 ranged between 0–8.84 in the case of ward furnishings and between 0–1.22 cfu/cm-2 in the case of medical equipment. In 180 samples collected from the material which had direct contact with newborns no fungal growth was observed. Conclusions. The furnishings of the wards on which newborns were treated and nursed were contaminated with fungi to an extent which did not pose a threat to the life and health of the newborns. Medical equipment (respirators, incubators, nCPAP cannulas and masks) which came into direct contact with newborns was free from fungi