Molecular characterisation of the causative agents of Cryptococcosis in patients of a tertiary healthcare facility in the state of Amazonas‐Brazil

Abstract

Summary As there are four major molecular types of Cryptococcus neoformans (VNI, VNII, VNIII and VNIV) and four molecular types of Cryptococcus gattii (VGI, VGII, VGIII and VGIV), it is important to identify the specific groups causing cryptococcosis in different geographical regions. Here, we investigated the molecular types of 57 cryptococcal isolates from patients in a tertiary care hospital in the state of Amazonas, Brazil, between 2006 and 2010. The isolates were characterised by PCR fingerprinting using the M13 minisatellite and confirmed by URA5‐RFLP analysis, and the presence of specific genes from the mating type locus (MATα and MATa) of these species was analysed by PCR. Most of the patients were male (66.7%), between 16 and 30 years of age (51.7%), and HIV‐positive (75.0%). Most isolates were collected from cerebrospinal fluid samples (71.7%). Most of the C. neoformans isolates (n = 40) were characterised as members of the VNI molecular group (n = 39), a unique isolate was characterised as VNII whereas all isolates of C. gattii (n = 17) were members of the VGII molecular group. With regard to mating types, 55 isolates were type ‘α’, and only two were type ‘a’. This study revealed the prevalence of the VNI molecular group and provides the first reported observation of the VNII molecular group in the northern region of Brazil.

Cryptococcosis in Colombian children and literature review

“…Other studies exist that include patients with all these possibilities, such as ours and that of Joshi et al (2010) , with 20.6% immunocompetent patients, 22.2% displaying malignancy, 15.9% HIV+ and 41.3% displaying other co-morbidities and that of Severo et al (2009) , with 24.1% HIV, 25.9% immunocompetent (half of these infected with C. gattii ) and 50% with another co-morbidity. It is important to highlight the high percentage of immunocompetent patients in our series, which is similar to that described in China, Taiwan and Brazil (dos Santos et al 2008 , Huang et al 2010 , Martins et al 2011 , Freire et al 2012 , Guo et al 2012 ).…”

Evaluation of antifungal combination against Cryptococcus spp.

“…In this study, genotypes C. neoformans (VNI) and C. deuterogattii (VGII) were the major cause of cryptococcosis. Several investigators carried out studies in different parts of the country (Amazonas, Bahia, Pará, Piauí, São Paulo and Rio Grande do Sul) and also reported C. neoformans (VNI) and C. deuterogattii (VGII) as the most prevalent …”

Environmental Isolation of Cryptococcus gattii VGII from Indoor Dust from Typical Wooden Houses in the Deep Amazonas of the Rio Negro Basin

“…gattii in Brazil is endemic and shows a regional pattern, being more common in the North (N) and Northeast (NE) of the country [ 11 ]. One hundred thirty four (134) cases have been diagnosed in the Amazon region, including the states of Pará and Amazonas [ 12 – 15 ]. In these states, as well as in other states of the N and NE regions (Roraima, Maranhão and Piauí), noteworthy was the emergence of cryptococcosis in immunocompetent (HIV-negative) children in about one fifth of the reported cases [ 12 , 15 – 16 ], suggesting that natural infection occurs early in life.…”