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Fungal Neglected Tropical Diseases
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Fungal Neglected Tropical Diseases

A special issue of Journal of Fungi (ISSN 2309-608X). This special issue belongs to the section "Fungal Pathogenesis and Disease Control".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2023) | Viewed by 11021

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Ricardo Negroni

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Mycology Unit of the Hospital de Infecciosas Francisco J. Muñiz, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Interests: Candida recurrent vaginitis; histoplasmosis; cryptococcosis; endemic mycoses
Dr. Alicia Arechavala

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Mycology Unit of the Hospital de Infecciosas Francisco J. Muñiz, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Interests: endemic mycoses; aids-related mycoses; mycological diagnosis; cryptococcosis
Dr. Gabriela Santiso

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Mycology Unit of the Hospital de Infecciosas Francisco J. Muñiz, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Interests: endemic mycoses; diagnostic methods; molecular biology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Medical mycology was considered the Cinderella of microbiological sciences (Gioconda San Blas). Since the second half of the 20th century, the epidemiology of human mycoses has undergone a significant change due to the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, corticosteroids, antiblastic drugs, biological drugs to control autoimmune diseases, and the AIDS epidemic. These changes have affected both industrialized and tropical countries and have increased interest in mycoses. Despite this, onychomycosis, which affects 7% of the population, still has no efficient treatment, and the same can be said of recurrent vaginal candidiasis, which produces more than 130 million cases per year. If this situation is taken into account, almost all mycoses are neglected.

In tropical mycoses, the deficit is greater, with mycetomas, chromoblastomycosis, pheohyphomycosis and sporotrichosis being considered neglected diseases. Maduromycotic mycetomas are diagnosed late, and available treatments are expensive and ineffective. A similar situation occurs in chromoblastomycosis and pheohyphomycosis. Sporotrichosis is epidemic in Brazil and other South American countries, affecting thousands of cats and humans.

The state of these health problems shows the need to stimulate research on these diseases in order to solve the deficit in the level of attention they currently receive.

We welcome scientific papers for publication in this Special Issue of the journal.

Dr. Ricardo Negroni
Dr. Alicia Arechavala
Dr. Gabriela Santiso
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Fungi is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • neglected diseases
  • tropical mycoses
  • implantation mycoses
  • chromoblastomycosis
  • mycetomas
  • sporotrichosis
  • pheohyphomycosis
  • neglected mycoses

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 1525 KiB  
Article
Preemptive Therapy in Cryptococcosis Adjusted for Outcomes
by Fernando Messina, Gabriela Santiso, Alicia Arechavala, Mercedes Romero, Roxana Depardo and Emmanuel Marin
J. Fungi 2023, 9(6), 631; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof9060631 - 30 May 2023
Viewed by 2054
Abstract
Cryptococcosis is one of the most serious opportunistic diseases in patients living with HIV. For this reason, early diagnosis and appropriate treatment are important. Objectives. The aim of the study was to understand the development of patients diagnosed with cryptococcosis by detection of [...] Read more.
Cryptococcosis is one of the most serious opportunistic diseases in patients living with HIV. For this reason, early diagnosis and appropriate treatment are important. Objectives. The aim of the study was to understand the development of patients diagnosed with cryptococcosis by detection of Cryptococcus antigen in serum by lateral flow assay (CrAg LFA) without nervous system involvement and with treatment in accordance with the results. Materials and Methods. A retrospective, longitudinal, analytical study was performed. Seventy patients with cryptococcosis initially diagnosed by serum CrAg LFA without meningeal involvement between January 2019 and April 2022 were analyzed for medical records. The treatment regimen was adapted to the results of blood culture, respiratory material, and pulmonary tomography imaging. Results. Seventy patients were included, 13 had probable pulmonary cryptococcosis, 4 had proven pulmonary cryptococcosis, 3 had fungemia, and 50 had preemptive therapy without microbiological or imaging findings compatible with cryptococcosis. Among the 50 patients with preemptive therapy, none had meningeal involvement or cryptococcosis recurrences to date. Conclusion. Preemptive therapy avoided progression to meningitis in CrAg LFA-positive patients. Preemptive therapy with dose adjustment of fluconazole in patients with the mentioned characteristics was useful despite the use of lower doses than recommended. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Neglected Tropical Diseases)
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15 pages, 2359 KiB  
Article
Clinical and Demographic Features of Paracoccidioidomycosis in Argentina: A Multicenter Study Analysis of 466 Cases
by Gustavo Giusiano, Fernanda Tracogna, Gabriela Santiso, Florencia Rojas, Fernando Messina, Vanesa Sosa, Yone Chacón, Maria de los Ángeles Sosa, Javier Mussin, María Emilia Cattana, Andrea Vazquez, Patricia Formosa, Norma Fernández, Milagros Piedrabuena, Ruth Valdez, Florencia Davalos, Mariana Fernández, Alejandra Acuña, Alejandra Aguilera, Liliana Guelfand, Javier Afeltra, Guillermo Garcia Effron, Gladys Posse, Susana Amigot, Julian Serrano, Otilia Sellares, Christian Álvarez, Gloria Pineda, Susana Carnovale, Laura Zalazar and Cristina Canterosadd Show full author list remove Hide full author list
J. Fungi 2023, 9(4), 482; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof9040482 - 17 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2029
Abstract
Information on paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) in Argentina is fragmented and has historically been based on estimates, supported only by a series of a few reported cases. Considering the lack of global information, a national multicentric study in order to carry out a more comprehensive [...] Read more.
Information on paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) in Argentina is fragmented and has historically been based on estimates, supported only by a series of a few reported cases. Considering the lack of global information, a national multicentric study in order to carry out a more comprehensive analysis was warranted. We present a data analysis including demographic and clinical aspects of a historical series of 466 cases recorded over 10 years (2012–2021). Patients were aged from 1 to 89 years. The general male: female (M:F) ratio was 9.5:1 with significant variation according to the age group. Interestingly, the age range 21–30 shows an M:F ratio of 2:1. Most of the cases (86%) were registered in northeast Argentina (NEA), showing hyperendemic areas in Chaco province with more than 2 cases per 10,000 inhabitants. The chronic clinical form occurred in 85.6% of cases and the acute/subacute form occurred in 14.4% of cases, but most of these juvenile type cases occurred in northwestern Argentina (NWA). In NEA, the incidence of the chronic form was 90.6%; in NWA, the acute/subacute form exceeded 37%. Diagnosis by microscopy showed 96% positivity but antibody detection displays 17% of false negatives. Tuberculosis was the most frequent comorbidity, but a diverse spectrum of bacterial, fungal, viral, parasitic, and other non-infectious comorbidities was recorded. This national multicenter registry was launched in order to better understand the current status of PCM in Argentina and shows the two endemic zones with a highly diverse epidemiology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Neglected Tropical Diseases)
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14 pages, 1029 KiB  
Article
Comparative Genomics of Histoplasma capsulatum and Prediction of New Vaccines and Drug Targets
by Paula Cristina Silva Almeida, Bruno Stelmastchuk Roque, Andrei Giacchetto Felice, Arun Kumar Jaiswal, Sandeep Tiwari, Vasco Azevedo, Mario León Silva-Vergara, Siomar de Castro Soares, Kennio Ferreira-Paim and Fernanda Machado Fonseca
J. Fungi 2023, 9(2), 193; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof9020193 - 02 Feb 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2629
Abstract
Histoplasma capsulatum is a thermodymorphic fungus that causes histoplasmosis, a systemic mycosis that presents different clinical manifestations, ranging from self-limiting to acute lung infection, chronic lung infection and disseminated infection. Usually, it affects severely immunocompromised patients although immunocompetent patients can also be infected. [...] Read more.
Histoplasma capsulatum is a thermodymorphic fungus that causes histoplasmosis, a systemic mycosis that presents different clinical manifestations, ranging from self-limiting to acute lung infection, chronic lung infection and disseminated infection. Usually, it affects severely immunocompromised patients although immunocompetent patients can also be infected. Currently, there are no vaccines to prevent histoplasmosis and the available antifungal treatment presents moderate to high toxicity. Additionally, there are few options of antifungal drugs. Thus, the aim of this study was to predict possible protein targets for the construction of potential vaccine candidates and predict potential drug targets against H. capsulatum. Whole genome sequences from four previously published H. capsulatum strains were analyzed and submitted to different bioinformatic approaches such as reverse vaccinology and subtractive genomics. A total of four proteins were characterized as good protein candidates (vaccine antigens) for vaccine development, three of which are membrane-bound and one is secreted. In addition, it was possible to predict four cytoplasmic proteins which were classified as good protein candidates and, through molecular docking performed for each identified target, we found four natural compounds that showed favorable interactions with our target proteins. Our study can help in the development of potential vaccines and new drugs that can change the current scenario of the treatment and prevention of histoplasmosis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Neglected Tropical Diseases)
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Review

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17 pages, 690 KiB  
Review
An Overview of Diagnostic and Management Strategies for Talaromycosis, an Underrated Disease
by Silvere D. Zaongo, Fazhen Zhang and Yaokai Chen
J. Fungi 2023, 9(6), 647; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof9060647 - 06 Jun 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2149
Abstract
Underrated and neglected, talaromycosis is a life-threatening fungal disease endemic to the tropical and subtropical regions of Asia. In China, it has been reported that talaromycosis mortality doubles from 24 to 50% when the diagnosis is delayed, and reaches 100% when the diagnosis [...] Read more.
Underrated and neglected, talaromycosis is a life-threatening fungal disease endemic to the tropical and subtropical regions of Asia. In China, it has been reported that talaromycosis mortality doubles from 24 to 50% when the diagnosis is delayed, and reaches 100% when the diagnosis is missed. Thus, the accurate diagnosis of talaromycosis is of utmost importance. Herein, in the first part of this article, we provide an extensive review of the diagnostic tools used thus far by physicians in the management of cases of talaromycosis. The challenges encountered and the perspectives which may aid in the discovery of more accurate and reliable diagnostic approaches are also discussed. In the second part of this review, we discuss the drugs used to prevent and treat T. marneffei infection. Alternative therapeutic options and potential drug resistance reported in the contemporary literature are also discussed. We aim to guide researchers towards the discovery of novel approaches to prevent, diagnose, and treat talaromycosis, and therefore improve the prognosis for those afflicted by this important disease. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Neglected Tropical Diseases)
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11 pages, 306 KiB  
Review
Methods for Antifungal Susceptibility Testing of the Cryptococcus neoformans/C. gattii Complex: Strengths and Limitations
by Ana Espinel-Ingroff and Emilia Cantón
J. Fungi 2023, 9(5), 542; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof9050542 - 05 May 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1533
Abstract
When method-dependent categorical endpoints are available, namely either BPs or ECVs, MICs could aid in selecting the best treatment agent(s). BPs can categorize an isolate as either susceptible or resistant while the ECVs/ECOFFs can distinguish the wild type (WT, no known resistance mechanisms) [...] Read more.
When method-dependent categorical endpoints are available, namely either BPs or ECVs, MICs could aid in selecting the best treatment agent(s). BPs can categorize an isolate as either susceptible or resistant while the ECVs/ECOFFs can distinguish the wild type (WT, no known resistance mechanisms) from the Non-WT (NWT, harboring resistant mechanisms). Our literature review focused on the Cryptococcus species complex (SC) and the available methods and categorization endpoints. We also covered the incidence of these infections as well as the numerous Cryptococcus neoformans SC and C. gattii SC genotypes. The most important agents to treat cryptococcal infections are fluconazole (widely used), amphotericin B, and flucytosine. We provide data from the collaborative study that defined CLSI fluconazole ECVs for the most common cryptococcal species or genotypes and modes. EUCAST ECVs/ECOFFs are not yet available for fluconazole. We have summarized the incidence of cryptococccal infections (2000–2015) where fluconazole MICs were obtained by reference and commercial antifungal susceptibility tests. This occurrence is documented all over the world and those fluconazole MICs are mostly categorized by available CLSI ECVs/BPs as “resistant” instead of non-susceptible strains, including those by the commercial methods. As expected, the agreement between the CLSI and commercial methods is variable because SYO and Etest data could yield low/variable agreement (<90%) versus the CLSI method. Therefore, since BPs/ECVs are species and method dependent, why not gather sufficient MICs by commercial methods and define the required ECVs for these species? Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Neglected Tropical Diseases)
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