Comparison of Talaromyces marneffei Infection in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-positive and Human Immunodeficiency Virus-negative Patients from Fujian, China

• Published in: Chinese medical journal Vol. 129; no. 9; pp. 1059 - 1065
• Main Authors: Li, Hong-Ru, Cai, Shao-Xi, Chen, Yu-Sheng, Yu, Mei-E, Xu, Neng-Luan, Xie, Bao-Song, Lin, Ming, Hu, Xin-Lan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: China Wolters Kluwer - Medknow Publications 05.05.2016; Medknow Publications and Media Pvt. Ltd; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Ovid Technologies; Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine%Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China%Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Provincial Clinical Medical College of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350001, China; Medknow Publications & Media Pvt Ltd; Wolters Kluwer
• Subjects: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; Adult; Aged; AIDS; Amphotericin B; Antiretroviral drugs; Blood; Bone marrow; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; Clinical Characteristics; Human Immunodeficiency Virus; Talaromyces marneffei; Critical care; Disease control; Disease prevention; Dosage and administration; Epidemiology; Female; Fever; Fluconazole; Health aspects; HIV; HIV infections; HIV Infections - complications; HIV patients; Hospitals; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Infections; Infectious diseases; Laboratories; Male; Medical diagnosis; Medicine; Middle Aged; Mycoses - diagnosis; Mycoses - drug therapy; Mycoses - immunology; Original; Retrospective Studies; Risk factors; Talaromyces - drug effects; 人类免疫缺陷病毒; 患者; 病毒感染; 福建省; 阳性; 阴性; 青霉菌; 黄色; China; Southeast Asia; Malaysia; Human Immunodeficiency Virus; Talaromyces marneffei; Clinical Characteristics
• ISSN: 0366-6999; 2542-5641
• DOI: 10.4103/0366-6999.180520

Background： Talaromyces （Penicillium） marneffei （TIM） is an emerging dimorphic human pathogenic fungus that is endemic to Southeast Asia. TM mostly occurs as an opportunistic infection in patients with human immunodeficiency virus （HIV）. The objective of this study was to compare the clinical and laboratory parameters of patients with TM infections who were HIV-positive and HIV-negative and to assess therapies and outcomes. Methods： This was a retrospective analysis of 26 patients diagnosed with disseminated TM infection from September 2005 to April 2014 at Fujian Provincial Hospital, China. Results： Patients with TM infection tend to present with fever, weight loss, and anemia. The time from symptom onset to confirmed diagnosis was greater for HlV-negative patients （n 7; median： 60 days, range： 14-365 days） than for HIV-positive patients （n = 19; median： 30 days, range： 3-90 days, Mann-Whitney U= 31.50, P = 0.041）. HIV-negative patients were more likely to have dyspnea （57.1% vs. 5.3%, Z： = 8.86, P = 0.010）, low neutrophil count （Mann-Whitney U = 27.00, P = 0.029）, high CD4 count （Mann-Whitney U= 0.00, P 0.009）, and high lymphocyte count （Mann-Whitney U = 21.00, P = 0.009）. There were no significant differences in other demographic, clinical, or biochemical characteristics. Among all the patients, 12 HIV-positive patient and 1 HlV-negative patient received amphotericin and fluconazole treatment, 9 of whom improved, l died, 2 had kidney damage, 1 had hypokalemia due to exceeded doses. Conclusions： HIV-negative patients with TM infections tend to have a longer diagnostic interval, a higher percentage of dyspnea, higher levels of CD4 and lymphocytes, and lower neutrophil counts than TM infection in HIV-positive patients. Treatment programs with amphotericin and fluconazole are mostly effective.