Prospective study on combined use of Sabouraud dextrose agar and blood agar for improved recovery of etiological agents in mycotic and Pythium keratitis.

We evaluated the effectiveness of using blood agar (BA) and Sabouraud dextrose agar (SDA) together to isolate fungi and Pythium insidiosum for the diagnosis of fungal and Pythium keratitis respectively. The overall recovery rate was higher in SDA than BA (93.75 % vs 88.

Improving Diagnostic Sensitivity of Chronic Pulmonary Aspergillosis Using Species-Specific IgG.

Background: Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) is most commonly caused by Aspergillus fumigatus (AF-CPA). Serum A. fumigatus-IgG, a pivotal investigation for diagnosing CPA, misses 10%-15% of CPA cases.

Direct Identification of Yeasts from Blood Cultures and Body Fluids Using MALDI-TOF MS with Concurrent Antifungal Susceptibility Testing.

The rising incidence of invasive fungal infections has been accompanied by an increasing prevalence of antifungal resistance among fungal pathogens. Rapid identification of causative agents and their antifungal susceptibility profiles is critical for initiating timely, species-specific targeted therapy. In this context, we evaluated a MALDI-TOF MS-based method for the rapid identification of clinically relevant yeast species directly from blood cultures and body fluids, coupled with direct antifungal susceptibility testing (Direct-AFST).

Subcutaneous phaeohyphomycosis due to a rare fungus Parathyridaria percutanea: First reported case from central India.

Parathyridaria percutanea is an unusual fungus causing subcutaneous phaeohyphomycosis in India. A 74-year-old female presented with multiple swellings on the dorsum of her left hand for 6 months. The patient does not have Diabetes mellitus, is not immunocompromised, and does not have any other co-morbidities.

Serum Mannose-Binding Lectin Levels in Asthma and Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis.

Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) contributes to innate immunity against Aspergillus fumigatus. We assessed the role of reduced MBL levels in asthma patients with and without allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA). In this prospective cross-sectional study, we enrolled 154 adults: 48 with asthma, 27 with Aspergillus-sensitized asthma (ASA, A.

-derived lipopeptides inhibit and eradicate Biofilms: An in vitro exploration.

is a WHO-prioritised opportunistic fungal pathogen capable of causing superficial-to-systemic fungal infections and forming biofilms on both biotic and abiotic surfaces, such as tissues and medical implants. The rising incidence of fungal infections and the emergence of drug resistance underscore the urgent need for alternative, natural therapeutic agents such as antifungal macromolecules. AF and AF, natural antifungal lipopeptide homologs derived from the RLID strain, were purified to homogeneity from the cell free supernatant using semi-preparative scale HPLC with a C18 column at the final step.

Cut-Offs and Diagnostic Performance of IgG Against Recombinant Aspergillus fumigatus Antigens in Differentiating ABPA From Asthma.

Background: The diagnostic cut-off values for IgG antibodies against recombinant Aspergillus fumigatus (rAsp) antigens in allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) remain unclear.

Objectives: To derive and validate diagnostic cut-offs for IgG antibodies against rAsp f 1, f 2 and f 4 in ABPA and assess their diagnostic performance in distinguishing ABPA from asthma.

Methods: In this case-control study, we prospectively enrolled consecutive subjects with asthma and ABPA.

Fatal pulmonary mycoses by Emergomyces pasteurianus in a renal transplant recipient from India.

We describe a rare case of pulmonary infection by an emerging dimorphic fungus, Emergomyces pasteurianus in a 73-year-old renal transplant recipient from Northern India. The patient presented with fever and shortness of breath for ten days. The bronchoalveolar lavage revealed yeast cells and grew E.

Serum periostin and carcinoembryonic antigen for diagnosing and assessing response in allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis.

Background And Objective: Serum periostin and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) are markers of type 2 inflammation. However, their role in diagnosing and monitoring treatment responses in allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) remains uncertain. The objective of the study was to assess the diagnostic performance of serum CEA and periostin in distinguishing ABPA from asthma.

Concurrent chromoblastomycosis and subcutaneous phaeohyphomycosis by different pathogens in a renal transplant recipient.

Chromoblastomycosis and subcutaneous phaeohyphomycosis are implantation mycoses caused by melanized fungi. We present a unique case of concurrent chromoblastomycosis by Fonsecaea monophora and phaeohyphomycosis by Medicopsis romeroi presenting as polypoidal wrist lesion and painless cystic toe lesion respectively in a renal transplant recipient. The diagnosis was confirmed by microbiological (including molecular identification by sequencing of ITS region of rDNA) and histopathological examination.

Multi-Omics Analysis of Experimentally Evolved Candida auris Isolates Reveals Modulation of Sterols, Sphingolipids, and Oxidative Stress in Acquired Amphotericin B Resistance.

Clinical isolates of Candida auris show a high prevalence of resistance to Amphotericin B (AmB)-an uncommon trait in most Candida species. Alterations in ergosterol biosynthesis can contribute to acquired AmB resistance in C. auris laboratory strains but are rarely seen in clinical isolates.

Diagnostic performance of an in-house real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay and antigen detection from respiratory samples for the diagnosis of pulmonary cryptococcosis.

Introduction: The currently available diagnostic tests lack sensitivity to diagnose pulmonary cryptococcosis. In the current study, we developed and standardized an in-house real-time PCR assay and evaluated the antigen detection in respiratory samples for the diagnosis of pulmonary cryptococcosis.

Materials And Methods: We standardized an in-house real-time PCR assay (using URA5 and STR1 primers; index test 1) and cryptococcal antigen detection (BIOSYNEX® CryptoPS, France) from the respiratory samples (index test 2).

Candida vulturna, the Next Fungal Menace? A Narrative Review.

Introduction: The yeast Candida vulturna is a member of the Candida haemulonii species complex, like its close relative Candida auris. Members of this species complex, including C. vulturna, often display reduced susceptibility to one or more antifungal classes.

Genotypic Diversity and Molecular Basis of Fluconazole Resistance in Candida parapsilosis Clinical Isolates Collected Over 7 Years in a Tertiary-Care Hospital in North India.

Background: The recent rise in the global incidence of fluconazole resistance in C. parapsilosis has become a significant public health concern. Epidemiological studies suggest that fluconazole resistance in C.

Sensitivity and Specificity of Plasma and Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid PCR for Diagnosing Pulmonary Mucormycosis in Subjects With Diabetes Mellitus.

Background: Mucorales polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is used to diagnose pulmonary mucormycosis (PM) among neutropenic individuals. However, data on the utility of PCR in patients with diabetes mellitus, another major risk factor for PM, are limited.

Objective: The primary objective was to assess the diagnostic performance of a commercial real-time PCR assay (MucorGenius) in plasma and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) for diagnosing PM (proven and probable cases only) in patients with suspected invasive mould disease (IMD).

The Conundrum of Computed Tomography Findings in Chronic Pulmonary Aspergillosis: Insights From 103 Cases.

Purpose: To describe the spectrum of computed tomography (CT) findings in various chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) subtypes.

Material And Methods: This retrospective study analyzed the CT scans of consecutively diagnosed CPA cases. Two radiologists independently evaluated the CT findings (both qualitatively and quantitatively) to characterize the lung cavities, intracavitary contents, pericavitary opacities and fibrosis, mediastinal shift, pleural thickening, and underlying structural lung disease.

Impact of Bronchiectasis Severity on Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: The impact of bronchiectasis severity on the outcomes of patients with allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) remains uncertain.

Objective: To evaluate whether bronchiectasis severity is associated with an increased risk of ABPA exacerbations.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients with ABPA between 2007 and 2019.

Navigating the molecular landscape of Candida auris in a tertiary care setting in Eastern India.

Purpose: Candida auris was recently listed as a critical priority fungal pathogen by WHO due to its multidrug resistance and enhanced propensity for nosocomial transmission. This study investigated the molecular epidemiology and colonization patterns of C. auris in a tertiary care center in Eastern India.

Amplified fragment length polymorphism genotyping of Trichophyton indotineae indicates possible zoonotic transmission.

The anthropophilic dermatophyte Trichophyton interdigitale and its counterpart T. mentagrophytes are phylogenetically closely related species. In India, the most common endemic dermatophyte species belongs to the T.

Diversity in the lipidomes of Trichophyton rubrum, Trichophyton interdigitale and Trichophyton tonsurans, and their phenotypes.

Despite the prevalence of dermatophytosis which affects a quarter of the world's population, there is a pressing need for innovative and effective treatment strategies. Targeting lipid structures and their biosynthetic pathways has emerged as a promising approach to combat antimicrobial drug-resistant cases. However, our knowledge of Trichophyton-related lipids is rather limited.

Whole Genome Sequence Analysis of Terbinafine Resistant and Susceptible Trichophyton Isolates from Human and Animal Origin.

Trichophyton indotineae, first identified in India, has increasingly been reported in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and recently in the USA. The global spread of terbinafine-resistant T. indotineae underscores the urgency of the issue.