JITT Fungals Flashcards
How are fungi defined?
They’re heterotrophs (they eat dead material); they’re mostly aerobic (some facultative anaerobes); can be uni or multicellular
What kind of organisms are fungi?
Eukaryotes with active cytoskeleton
What is the predominant sterol in the fungi cell membrane?
ergosterol
What do polyenes do?
target ergosterol in the cell membrane, altering cell permeability and causing cell death
What do allylamines do?
block ergosterol synthesis (inhibits squalene epoxidase)
What do azoles do?
block ergosterol synthesis (inhibits 14 alpha demethylase)
What is the fungi cell wall composed of?
chitin, mannoprotein, and glucan
What do echinocandins do?
block glucan linkage (glucans can’t link into polymers within the cell wall)
How do fungi reproduce? What does it yield?
Asexual reproduction yields conidia; Sexual reproduction yields spores
What are the two fungi morphologies? What do they yield?
Yeasts and molds; Yeasts reproduce via budding; Molds reproduce via hyphae
How is a mycelium formed?
Hyphae create an intertwined mass
What is a dimorphic species?
interconvert between yeasts and molds: dimorphic species exist as molds in temperatures below 37 degrees and yeasts above 37
What is the heat shock response?
Conversion of dimorphic species from mold to yeast
What are superficial fungi?
usually direct inoculation from environment
What are endemic fungi?
Dimorphic species (Coccidiomycosis, Blastomycosis, Histoplasmosis)
What are opportunistic fungi?
part of native flora, require breach in host defense (crypto, asperg)
How does the host respond to fungi?
First defense is PMN-mediated killing; Macrophages active against local infections that have escaped PMNs; T cell response necessary to prevent systemic spread; Humoral response limited
What causes histoplasmosis?
HIstoplasma capsulatum var. capsulatum, the most prevalent endemic fungi, is a thermally dimorphic organism that grows in acidic, humid soil enriched with bat or bird droppings, in the Mississippi or Ohio River Valleys
What are exposure risks for histoplasmosis?
caves, chicken coops, old buildings or dead trees
What is the pathogenesis for histoplasmosis?
Microconidia are inhaled into alveoli and phagocytosed by macrophages. Yeast inhibit the phagolysosome complex, and survive inside the macrophage. The yeast evoke a granulomatous response. Some spread by traveling within the macrophage throughout the reticuloendothelial system (lymph nodes, spleen, bone marrow, peripheral blood, etc). Granulomas undergo fibrocaseous necrosis and calcification.
What are the 4 presentations of histoplasmosis?
- asymptomatic to mild cough (most immunocompetent individuals); 2. acute histoplasmosis (flu-like); 3. chronic cavitary (occurs in patients with preexisting lung disease); 4. disseminated (sepsis, multi-organ system dysfunction including adrenal failure or respiratory failure)
How is histoplasmosis diagnosed?
Gold standard is culture (50% sensitivity in disseminated disease, less in acute histoplasmosis), but fungal stains also used to support diagnosis. Urine and serum antigen tests are most sensitive (95% in disseminated, 80% in acute).
How is histoplasmosis treated?
Itraconazole. Longer courses needed to treat chronic cavitary disease. For severe acute histoplasmosis +/- CNS involvement or disseminated disease, use amphotericin B first and then switch to itraconazole
What causes blastomycosis?
Blastomycosis dermatidis is a thermally dimorphic organism that is endemic to the southeastern, southcentral, Midwestern and some northeastern states, particularly in areas with decomposing materials (eg, beaver dams)
What is the pathogenesis of blastomycosis?
Microconidia are inhaled into alveoli, phagocytosed and killed. Those that escape convert into thick walled, large yeasts with broad based buds that can survive in the extracellular space. Adehesins on their surface result in a pyogranulomatous response.
How does blastomycosis present?
- asymptomatic to mild cough (most immunocompetent individuals); 2. acute histoplasmosis (flu-like); 3. chronic (Looks similar to TB or malignancy; CXR may show cavitation, mass lesions or fibronodular infiltrates); 4. disseminated (diffuse lung involvement that leads to respiratory failure; also common in skin or bone)
How is blastomycosis diagnosed?
Gold standard is culture, but fungal stains are more sensitive. No widely accepted antigen or DNA probes are available.
How is blastomycosis treated?
Itraconazole. For severe acute blastomycosis +/- CNS involvement or for disseminated disease, use amphotericin B first and then switch to itraconazole. For refractory blasto or brain abscesses, fluconazole or voriconazole (which each have better CNS penetration) are appropriate options
What causes coccidiodomycosis?
There are two species, but one genus of this soil-dwelling thermally dimorphic fungi that grows in the Southwest US. Increased exposure occurs during archeological digs, after earthquakes, and during construction
What is the pathogenesis of coccidiomycosis?
Arthroconidia are aerosolized into the bronchioles, where they either mature to become very large spherules or undergo PMN mediated phagocytosis and death. Mature spherules rupture and release many endospores. Killing endospores requires a TH1 driven, adaptive immune response, which results in necrotizing granuloma formation. Endospores that escape can mature and become spherules.
What are the clinical presentations of coccidiomycosis?
- Asymptomatic: 60% of exposure; 2.Acute Pulmonary Coccidioidomycosis: 40% of exposures. 2-6 weeks after inoculation, develop a constellation of symptoms very similar to CABP. CXR reveals focal opacities and adenopathy, but 10% may develop effusions; 3. Extrapulmonary: 10% experience cutaneous symptoms (lower extremity erythema nodosum, necklace distribution of erythema multiforme, or rarely erythema toxicum). May also have MSK involvement; 4. Chronic Pulmonary Coccidioidomycosis:
How is coccidiomycosis treated?
Mild infection does not require treatment. Moderate disease may be treated with itraconazole or fluconazole. Severe, chronic or disseminated disease is treated first with amphotericin B, and then a prolonged course with an azole to prevent relapse. CNS involvement requires lifelong treatment with fluconazole to prevent relapse.