Candidaemia
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Microbiology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 January 2023) | Viewed by 3396
Special Issue Editors
Interests: Acinetobacter; Candida; yeasts; resistance genes to antifungals; resistance genes to antibiotics; atmospheric-pressure plasma; biofilm; immune responses
Interests: clinical and environmental mycology; antifungal susceptibility testing; epidemiology of fungal infections
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Invasive candidiasis is an emerging infection widely recognized as a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the healthcare environment.
Candida spp. remain the major cause of invasive yeast infections in hospitalized patients, especially among immunocompromised and seriously ill patients. Use of central lines, mechanical ventilation, administration of broad spectrum antibiotics, corticosteroids and other immunosuppressants, parenteral nutrition, gastrointestinal or other major surgery and long-term ICU stay are well established risk factors of candidemia. C. albicans, C. parapsilosis and C. glabrata represent the most common species worldwide causing candidemia. In the era of COVID-19, extensive use of corticosteroids along with the increased workload of healthcare staff and possible changes in routine infection control policies has upgraded the incidence of candidemia cases as well as the dissemination of species such as Candida auris. Azole-resistant as well as echinocandin-resistant Candida spp. are increasingly encountered and compromise the therapeutical options. Moreover, multi-drug resistant Candida, such as C. auris, C. lusitaniae, C. kefyr, C. haemulonii and C. duabushaemulonii represent rare yeasts causing sporadic cases or even outbreaks of bloodstream infections mainly in immunocompromised patients. Knowledge of the epidemiology of candidemia regarding species involved and susceptibility patterns is a valuable tool to ensure proper treatment.
Host as well as yeast factors may modulate the interplay between human innate/adaptive immune response and pathogen associated factors such as resistance genes and immune evasion mechanisms. Neutrophils are of major importance in host defense against Candida infections. Also, TH1 cell responses and IFNγ production for activation of both neutrophils and macrophages against fungi is well established. Furthermore, the role of platelets in immune response to fungi, in part mediated by the production of immune mediators such as CC-chemokine ligand 5 and platelet factor 4, is gaining interest. On the other hand, Candida -as an opportunistic pathogen - take advantage of immune system weakness further deregulating it by increased expression of exhaustion markers such as PD1 or PD-L1 on T cells. Moreover, resistance to antifungal agents narrows therapeutical options. Decreased susceptibility to echinocandins is associated with target mutations in the hot spot regions of Fks proteins, whereas azole resistance is mediated by several mechanisms including overexpression of membrane transporters (CDR1/CDR2 and MDR1), alterations in ergosterol synthesis pathways (ERG11/CYP51, ERG3 & 6, gain of function mutations in UPC2) or even use of exogenous sterols.
Topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Antifungal susceptibility patterns / resistance genes
- Host immune response to Candida bloodstream infection
Dr. Anastasia Spiliopoulou
Prof. Dr. Mihai Mares
Guest Editors
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Keywords
- candidemia
- Candida spp.
- non-Candida spp.
- Candida albicans
- Candida parapsilosis
- Candida auris
- antifungal susceptibility
- resistance genes
- immune response
- COVID-19
