Hormones and the Resistance of Women to Paracoccidioidomycosis

Abstract

SUMMARY Paracoccidioidomycosis, one of the most important endemic and systemic mycoses in Latin America, presents several clinical pictures. Epidemiological studies indicate a striking rarity of disease (but not infection) in females, but only during the reproductive years. This suggested a hormonal interaction between female hormones and the etiologic dimorphic fungus Paracoccidioides brasiliensis . Many fungi have been shown to use hormonal (pheromonal) fungal molecules for intercellular communication, and there are increasing numbers of examples of interactions between mammalian hormones and fungi, including the specific binding of mammalian hormones by fungal proteins, and suggestions of mammalian hormonal modulation of fungal behavior. This suggests an evolutionary conservation of hormonal receptor systems. We recount studies showing the specific hormonal binding of mammalian estrogen to proteins in P. brasiliensis and an action of estrogen to specifically block the transition from the saprophytic form to the invasive form of the fungus in vitro . This block has been demonstrated to occur in vivo in animal studies. These unique observations are consistent with an estrogen-fungus receptor-mediated effect on pathogenesis. The fungal genes responsive to estrogen action are under study.

Dendritic cell interactions withHistoplasmaandParacoccidioides

“…91 Other factors include the site of infection, age and the sex of the host. 92 There is a strong male predominance (13:1) of symptomatic disease that may be explained in part by the inhibition of transformation from the mycelia to yeast form in the presence of estrogens, as shown in a study by Restrepo et al 88 This phenomenon could lead to decreased fungal propagation and dissemination, allowing the immune system more time to develop an effective response to the infection. 93 PCM has 2 clinical presentations; a chronic or "adult" form, and an acute or subacute form, also termed the "juvenile" form.…”

An optimized one-tube, semi-nested PCR assay for Paracoccidioides brasiliensis detection

“…The distribution of infections is restricted to Central and South America and is observed between Mexico (23°N) and Argentina (34°S) 1 . Brazil is the country with the largest number of cases of the disease, with an estimated incidence ranging between 10-30 cases/million inhabitants and a mortality rate of 1.4 deaths/million inhabitants 2 .…”

“…Latin America and is caused by Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, a thermal-dimorphic fungus 1 . The distribution of infections is restricted to Central and South America and is observed between Mexico (23°N) and Argentina (34°S) 1 .…”

Caracterização das bases moleculares da resposta imune inata do hospedeiro murino à paracoccidiomicose

“…No entanto, um novo estudo filogenético revelou que o agrupamento de isolados conhecidos como Pb01-like é uma nova espécie dentro do genus Paracoccidioides agora denominado P. lutzii que também é um agente casual de PCM (Texeira et al 2009). Esta micose é mais prevalente em homens que mulheres devido a fatores biológicos, como o efeito protetor do hormônio estrógeno (Shankar et al 2011, Bernin et al 2014), e comportamentais, como as condições de trabalho, p.ex., trabalhadores rural (Brummer et al 1993, Bethlem et al 1999.…”