High Prevalence of Dihydropteroate Synthase Mutations in Pneumocystis jirovecii Isolated from Patients with Pneumocystis Pneumonia in South Africa

• Published in: Journal of Clinical Microbiology Vol. 48; no. 6; pp. 2016 - 2021
• Main Authors: Dini, Leigh, du Plessis, Mignon, Frean, John, Fernandez, Victor
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Society for Microbiology 01.06.2010; American Society for Microbiology (ASM)
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child, Preschool; Dihydropteroate Synthase - genetics; DNA, Fungal - chemistry; DNA, Fungal - genetics; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fungal Proteins - genetics; Humans; Infant; Male; Microbiology; Microscopy, Fluorescence; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Mutation, Missense; Mycology; Pneumocystis; Pneumocystis carinii - enzymology; Pneumocystis carinii - genetics; Pneumocystis carinii - isolation & purification; Pneumonia, Pneumocystis - microbiology; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Sequence Analysis, DNA; South Africa; Sputum - microbiology; Young Adult; South Africa; Southern Africa; Africa; Lung disease; Pneumonia; Prevalence; Enzyme; Respiratory disease; Transferases; Epidemiology; Fungi; Dihydropteroate synthase; Pneumocystis; Fungi Imperfecti; Mutation; Clinical isolate

Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients. Sulfa-containing drugs are used for the treatment and prophylaxis of PCP. Mutations in the P. jirovecii fas gene, which encodes dihydropteroate synthase (DHPS), are associated with...