Penicillium marneffei

Morphologically identified Penicillium (n = 103) and Talaromyces marneffei (n = 8) isolates were collected from various clinical sources between 2016 and 2017 at a medical centre in Beijing, China. Identification to species level was confirmed by sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, β-tubulin gene (benA) and RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (RPB2) gene. Of the 111 isolates, 56 (50.5%) were identified as Penicillium spp. and 55 (49.5%) as Talaromyces spp. Eleven species of Penicillium were detected, of which Penicillium oxalicum was the commonest, accounting for 51...

A 60-year-old male patient undergoing chemotherapy for multiple myeloma Stage II presented to our hospital with complaints of cough, haemoptysis, fever and loose stools. Sputum sample was sent for fungal culture. Fungal culture on Sabouraud dextrose agar yielded bluish-green velvety growth with orange-to-red diffusible pigment on the reverse. The isolate was identified as Penicillium species, probably Penicillium citrinum or Penicillium pinophilus. As the isolate did not exhibit thermal dimorphism, the possibility of the fungal isolate being Penicillium marneffei was ruled out...

Talaromyces marneffei causes fatal invasive mycosis in Southeast Asia. Diagnosis by culture has limited sensitivity and can result in treatment delay. We describe the use of a novel Mp1p enzyme immunoassay (EIA) to identify blood culture-negative talaromycosis, subsequently confirmed by bone marrow cultures. This EIA has the potential to speed diagnosis, enabling early therapy initiation.

Talaromyces marneffei (T. marneffei), formerly Penicillium marneffei, is a dimorphic fungus prevalent in Southeast Asia that can cause severe systemic infection, especially in immunocompromised patients. There are few reports about the use of posaconazole in T. marneffei infection. Here, we present a case of pulmonary T. marneffei infection in a renal transplant recipient. The patient responded rapidly to oral posaconazole administration but experienced serum creatinine fluctuation because of the interaction between posaconazole and immunosuppressants...

Talaromycosis is caused by the dimorphic fungus Talaromyces marneffei (formerly Penicillium marneffei) endemic in South and Southeast Asia. Its clinical similarity with other dimorphic fungal infections (sometimes) make the diagnosis challenging. We report an immunocompromised patient with talaromycosis mimicking histoplamosis. A 26-year-old HIV-positive man had suffered from rashes over the face, trunk, and extremities for three months. His physical examination showed centrally necrotic, ulcerated papules and nodules...

Penicillium marneffei ( Talaromyces marneffei ) infection sometimes occurs in HIV-infected patients in South-East Asia. However, reports on asymptomatic cases are rare. Herein, we report a case of a 27-year-old Burmese HIV-positive woman with pulmonary penicilliosis. Chest radiography showed a lung mass; however, the patient did not have any respiratory symptoms. Cultures of bronchoalveolar lavage and lung tissue grew P marneffei . The patient was diagnosed with penicilliosis and successfully treated with amphotericin B and itraconazole...

Talaromycosis typically occurs as an opportunistic infection among immunocompromised individuals. Infection caused by species other than T. marneffei is uncommon. While most reported cases describe infection in the lungs, we report an extremely rare intracranial Talaromyces species infection. This 61-year-old with end-stage renal disease who was unwell for the previous two months, presented with fever and worsening confusion lasting for three days. Lumbar puncture was suggestive of meningitis. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culture was later confirmed to be Penicillium chrysogenum...

BACKGROUND: Talaromyces marneffei , also named Penicillium marneffei , is an opportunistic pathogen that can cause systemic or limited infection in human beings. This infection is especially common in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected hosts; however, it has also been recently reported in HIV-negative hosts. Here, we report a very rarely seen case of T. marneffei pulmonary infection in a non-HIV-infected patient with signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 ( STAT3 ) mutation...

is a thermally dimorphic fungus that causes penicilliosis, and become the third-most-common opportunistic fungal infection in immunocompromised patients in Southeast Asia. Azoles and amphotericin B have been introduced for the treatment, however, it is important to investigate possible mechanisms of azole resistance for future treatment failure. We identified 177 putative MFS transporters and classified into 17 subfamilies. Among those, members of the Drug:H+ antiporter 1 subfamily are known to confer resistance to antifungals...

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Penicillium marneffei (P. marneffei) infection, which has been traditionally considered as an indicator of immunosuppression, is one of the most common systemic opportunistic infections in patients with AIDS. Recently, more and more P. marneffei infections have been documented in HIV-negative patients without underlying diseases, which challenges the traditional view that P. marneffei infection is an indicator of immunosuppression. We aimed to evaluate the number and function of lymphocytes in HIV-negative patients with P...

Talaromyces (formerly Penicillium) marneffei, a dimorphic fungus, is the most common opportunistic pathogen in human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV)-positive patients, but it rarely appears in HIV-negative individuals. Previously, in 2014, we reported the case of an HIV-negative Chinese woman with disseminated T. marneffei infection within an osteolytic lesion. Subsequently, she was followed up for 6 years, and we present an updated report of her clinical condition during the follow-up period. She presented with T...

Aureobasidium pullulans (A. pullulans) is a dematiaceous, yeast-like fungus that is ubiquitous in nature, which can colonize the human hair and skin. A. pullulans has been clinically implicated to cause skin and soft tissue infections, meningitis, splenic abscesses, and peritonitis. Herein, molecular diagnostic of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequencing was used to investigate a suspected case of A. pullulans infection, and the infection source had been traced. A 27-year-old female case was suspected of kala-azar due to the recurrent fever...

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Talaromycosis is a disseminated disease caused by Talaromyces (Penicillium) marneffei, mainly seen in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients. Its distribution is restricted to southeast Asian countries; a small pocket of endemicity exists in the northeast Indian state of Manipur. Here, we present a series of five cases presenting to our tertiary care hospital, originating from non-endemic states neighboring Manipur. In addition to the geographical distinction, a variety of unique features were noted in our cases, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-negative hosts, the absence of typical skin lesions, presentation as pneumonia and generalized lymphadenopathy...

The pathogenic fungus Talaromyces (formerly Penicillium) marneffei is a thermally dimorphic fungus that can cause disseminated infection in patients with secondary immunodeficiency syndrome, in particular in the setting of advanced HIV infection. The areas of highest incidence are in Southeast Asia, Southern China, and Indian subcontinents. Talaromycosis (formerly penicilliosis) is identified as an AIDS-defining illness, and it has recently been recognized in non-HIV-associated patients with impaired cellular-mediated immunity...

Talaromycosis (penicilliosis) is a major fungal disease endemic across a narrow band of tropical countries of South and Southeast Asia. The etiologic agent is a thermally dimorphic fungus Talaromyces (Penicillium) marneffei, which was first isolated from a bamboo rat in Vietnam in 1956, but no formal description was published. In 1959, Professor Gabriel Segretain formally described it as a novel species Talaromyces (Penicillium) marneffei, and the human pathogenic potential of the fungus in Mycopathologia. The first natural human case of talaromycosis (penicillosis) was reported in 1973 and involved an American minister with Hodgkin's disease who lived in Southeast Asia...

PURPOSE: Signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) is a transcription factor that mediates cellular responses to interferons (IFNs) and other cytokines and growth factors in diverse cell types. STAT1 gain-of-function (GOF) mutations result in an unexpectedly wide range of clinical features. It remains unclear why STAT1 GOF mutations result in such a broad spectrum of phenotypes. METHODS: We analyzed the clinical, molecular, and phenotypic characteristics of nine Chinese patients with STAT1 GOF mutations...

The fungus Talaromyces marneffei was described by Professor Gabriel Segretain in 1959, originally as a member of the genus Penicillium. As early as 60 years ago, its peculiarity in exhibiting temperature-dependent morphological dimorphism, its characteristic ability to secrete diffusing red pigment during the mycelial phase and its pathogenicity have already been recognised. Six decades have passed, and our understanding on this intriguing fungus has improved. Apart from the clinical aspect, we have gained a glimpse on its taxonomy, animal or environmental source(s), mechanism of thermal dimorphism, molecular genetics, virulence as well as pathogenesis...

Talaromyces (Penicillium) marneffei is an AIDS-defining infection in Southeast Asia and is associated with high mortality. It is rare in non-immunosuppressed individuals, especially children. Little is known about host immune response and genetic susceptibility to this endemic fungus. Genetic defects in the interferon-gamma (IFN-γ)/STAT1 signaling pathway, CD40/CD40 ligand- and IL12/IL12-receptor-mediated crosstalk between phagocytes and T-cells, and STAT3-mediated Th17 differentiation have been reported in HIV-negative children with talaromycosis and other endemic mycoses such as histoplasmosis, coccidioidomycosis, and paracoccidioidomycosis...

We performed morphology, molecular study and antifungal susceptibility test on 10 Talaromyces sp. isolates: eight clinical isolates (human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and non-HIV-patient) and two isolates from rats. All strains produced red soluble pigment and microscopically showed Penicillium-like structure in room temperature and yeast-like structure in 37°C. Based on molecular analysis, nine isolates were identified as Talaromyces atroroseus (including the isolates from rats) and one as T. marneffei. Our susceptibility result of T...