25: Fungals & Antifungals Flashcards
Describe the fungal structure.
- Defined by heterotrophy (eat dead material).
- Ergosterol predominant in cell membrane.
- Azoles and allylamines inhibit ergosterol synthesis (both static).
- Polyenes bind this sterol which causes cell leaking, death (cidal).
- Note: All bind cholesterol in humans cells, therefore toxic.
- Wall contains mannin, beta-glucan and chitin.
- Echinocandins block the enzyme linking beta-glucan in the cell wall.
Describe fungal reproduction and morphology.
- Asexual reproduction yields conidia.
- Sexual reproduction yields spores.
- Yeast reproduce by generating buds.
- Molds reproduce by forming parallel walls that form hyphae and are subdivided into subunits by septa.
- A mycelium is an interwined hyphae that behaves like a root.
Describe dimorphic fungi.
- Can form either yeast or mold.
- If less than 37C, mold
- If more than 37C, yeast (more metabolically active)
- Conversion = heat shock response
- 37C = body temp
- Mold are more immunogenic; yeast in human body better at evading immune response
What is the gold standard for diagnosing fungal infections?
- Micrscopic observation: GS, KOH prep, silver stain
How can fungal infections be divided?
- Anatomic location (superficial, mucocutaneous, deep)
- Epidemiology (opportunistic or endemic)
- Morphology (yeast, mold, dimorphic)
What are the superficial and subcutaneous fungal infections?
- Tinea versicolor (M)
- Dermatophytes (Y)
- Sporotrichosis (D)
NB: Inoculation via direct environmental exposure.
What are the endemic mycosis?
- Blastomycosis
- Histoplasmosis
- Coccidioidomycosis
NB: All dimorphic.
NB2: Pathogenesis resembles TB; conidia enter lung, cause system spread response in attempt to contain infx.
What are the opportunistic fungal infections?
- Cryptococcosis (Y)
- Aspergillosis (M)
- Mucormycosis (M)
- Candida (Y)
NB: Cause disease mostly in immunocompd pt.
What is the immunology of fungal infections?
- First defense is PMN-mediated killing
- Macrophages are then active against infx that escaped PMNs
- T cell response necessary to prevent systemic spread
- Humoral response limited
Where do superficial fungal infections occur?
- Stratum corneum, hair and nails
- Tinea versicolor and dermatophytosis are both superficial fungal infections.
For tinea (pityriasis) versicolor:
- Genus
- Source
- Epidemiology
- Pathogenesis
- Clinical
- Diagnosis
- Treatment
- Malassezia furfur, lipophilic dimorphic yeast
- Normal skin flora of 78-98% pop.
- Humid/tropic climates, young adults
- Converts from yeast to pathologic mold; metabolic side products block UV light, inhibit tyrosinase (melanin synthesis)
- Hypo/hyperpigmeted skin
- Clinical, Wood’s Lamp (yellow-orange fluorescence); KOH prep to confirm; histo: “spaghetti & meatballs”
- Topical treatment first (selenium sulfide, ketoconazole or terbinatine), then oral (fluconazole or itraconazole) if recurrence or systematic.
For dermatophytes:
- Etiology
- Epidemiology
- Pathogenesis
- Clinical
- Diagnosis
- Treatment
- 3 genera molds (trichophyton, microsporum, epidermophyton); invade keratinized structures in epidermis and feed on keratin; high tropism for specific tissues
- capitis = head
- corporis = body
- barbae = beard
- cruris = crotch
- unguium = nails
- pedis = feet
- More common in men (progesterone inhibits); transmitted person-to-person, via fomites, animal-to-person, or soil-to-person.
- Enzymes adhere to skin, invade surrounding tissues, incite immune response; need cellular immunity to prevent wide spread.
- Corporis: serpiginous/annular rash with curcumferential erythematous plaques and central clearing; capitis: inflammatory, non-inflammatory or chronic; barbae: superficial or inflammatory; cruris: well marginated, bilateral with scales; pedis: interdigital, sesiculobullous with bullae at varying stages of healing; unguium: refractory to tx
- Clinical, Wood’s Lamp, KOH
- Topical first (selenium sulfide, allylamines, azoles); for refractory infx, capitis or unguium, oral therapy (fluconazole or itraconazole)
For sporotrichosis:
- Etiology
- Epidemiology
- Pathogenesis
- Clinical
- Diagnosis
- Treatment
- Sporothrix schenkii, thermally dimorphic fungi found in soil
- Geophilic transmission; often occurring in gardeners.
- Trauma allows direct inoculation of conidia; germinates in lymphatics; rare presentations: osteoarticular form in joint space of middle-aged male alcoholics, pulmonary form in lung parenchyma in COPD patients, disseminated form in immunocompd.
- Single papule at inoculation site, later ulcerates; papule, nodule and ulcerative spread along lymphatic tracts.
- Clinical, culture of mold forms at room temp, biopsy revealing granulomatous/pyogenic process with scant, cigar-shaped yeasts.
- Itraconazole for 2-4 weeks (if severe, AmpB)
For Histoplasmosis:
- Etiology
- Epidemiology
- Pathogenesis
- Clinical
- Diagnosis
- Treatment
- Histoplasma capsulatum var. capsulatum; thermally dimorphic organism
- Grows in acidic, humid soil enriched with bat/bird droppings, in MS/OH river valleys; risks include caves, chicken coops, old buildings or dead trees
- Microconidia inhaled into alveoli, phagocytosed by macrophages; yeast inhibit phagolysosome complex, survive inside macrophage; evoke granulomatous response; spread by traveling within macrophage through reticuloendothelial system (lymph nodes, spleen, bone marrow, peripheral blood); granulomas undergo fibrocaseous necrosis and calcification.
- Asymptomatic to mild cough; flu-like illness in acute histoplasmosis; sequelae = great vessel/airway compression, fistula formation, fibrosing mediastinitis; chronic cavitary histoplasmosis = pts w/ pre-existing lung disease; looks like TB in presentation and on CXR; disseminated = sepsis, MOSD including adrenal & respiratory failure
- Culture (gold standard), fungal stains, urine/serum antigen tests most sensitive.
- Itraconazole; AmpB first if severe acute or disseminated.
For Blastomycosis:
- Etiology
- Epidemiology
- Pathogenesis
- Clinical
- Diagnosis
- Treatment
- Blastomycosis dermatidis; thermally dimorphic
- Endemic to SE, SC, MW, some NE states, particularly in areas of decomposing materials (e.g., beaver dams).
- Micrconidia inhaled into alveoli, phagocytosed and killed; those that escape convert into thick-walled, large yeasts with broad based buds that survive in EC space; adhesins on surface result in pyogranulomatous response.
- Four types:
- Asymptomatic to mild cough
- Acute: flu-like illness, limited spread
- Chronic: similar to TB or malignancy; CXR may show cavitation, mass lesions or fibronodular infiltrates
- Disseminated: immunocomp’d pts; diffuse long involvement leading to respiratory failure; skin: verrucous, nodular or ulcerative lesions; bone; GU tract; CNS with brain abscesses or meningitis.
- Culture (gold standard), but fungal stains more sensitive.
- Itraconazole; AmpB for severe acute or disseminated; fluconazole or voriconazole for refractory or brain abscesses.