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Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of cryptococcal meningitis patients with anti-granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) autoantibodies.Methods:A total of 216 non-acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) related cryptococcal meningitis cases with positive cultures of Cryptococcus, hospitalized at Huashan Hospital, Fudan University during January 2014 and December 2021, were retrospectively included. The serum anti-GM-CSF autoantibodies were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, and the clinical characteristics and prognosis were compared between patients with and without anti-GM-CSF autoantibodies. Statistical comparisons were mainly performed using the chi-square test or Fisher′s exact test. Cox proportional-hazards model was used to analyze the risk factors associated with prognosis. Results:Among 216 enrolled patients, 23 patients were positive of anti-GM-CSF autoantibodies, with a positive rate of 10.6%. Among 23 patients, seven cases were infected with Cryptococcus gattii, and 16 cases were infected with Cryptococcus neoformans. In the group with positive anti-GM-CSF autoantibodies, 30.4%(7/23) of the patients were infected with Cryptococcus gattii, which was higher than that of 1.6%(3/193) in the group with negative anti-GM-CSF autoantibodies, and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2=38.82, P<0.001). In the group with positive anti-GM-CSF autoantibodies, 30.0% (6/20) had mass lesions with a diameter greater than three centimeters in the lungs, and the one-year all-cause mortality rate was 50.0% (10/20), which were both higher than those of 3.4%(5/145) and 16.1% (29/180) in the negative group, respectively. The differences were both statistically significant (both Fisher′s exact test, P<0.01). Age≥60 years (hazard ratio ( HR)=4.146, P=0.002), predisposing factors ( HR=3.160, P=0.021), epilepsy ( HR=6.129, P=0.002), positive anti-GM-CSF autoantibodies ( HR=2.675, P=0.034), white blood cell count of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)<100 ×10 6/L ( HR=2.736, P=0.039), the titers of cryptococcal capsular polysaccharide antigen of CSF≥1∶1 280 ( HR=4.361, P=0.009) were independent risk factors for one-year all-cause mortality in patients with cryptococcal meningitis. Conclusions:In non-AIDS related cryptococcal meningitis patients, the positive rate of serum anti-GM-CSF autoantibodies is as high as 10.6%. Patients with anti-GM-CSF autoantibodies could be infected with both Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii, and they have higher proportion of lung mass lesions than patients with negative anti-GM-CSF autoantibodies. The one-year survival rate decreases significantly in patients with anti-GM-CSF autoantibodies, which is an independent risk factor for the prognosis of cryptococcal meningitis.
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Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of high-dose caspofungin (70 mg/d)as initial or salvage treatment for invasive pulmonary aspergillosis.Methods Twenty-one patients with proven or probable invasive pulmonary aspergillosis from June 2014 to October 2017 in Huashan Hospital,Fudan University were retrospectively reviewed.According to the anti-fungal treatment before high-dose caspofungin application,patients were divided into initial treatment group and salvage treatment group.Patients' clinical data and laboratory data were collected.The characteristics,clinical efficacy,adverse reactions,one-year survival rate and the overall effective rate were evaluated.The prognosis of the two groups was compared by Kaplan-Meier analysis.Results Twenty of the 21 patients opportunistic acquired invasive pulmonary aspergillosis during the treatment of underlying diseases.Five patients were initially treated with high-dose caspofungin for 68 (62) days.At week 12,one patient achieved complete response,3 patients achieved partial response,and the overall effective rate was 80％ (4/5).Sixteen patients received caspofungin as salvage therapy for 66.50 (58) days,of which one patient got complete response at week 12,10 had partial response,and the overall effective rate was 68.75％ (11/16).One-year follow-up showed that no patient died in the initial treatment group,and the one-year survival rate was 100％ (5/5).In salvage treatment group,3 patients died of pulmonary bacterial infections and the one-year survival rate was 81.25％ (13/16).During treatment,one patient had elevated total bilirubin,which was possibly associated with high-dose caspofungin.Conclusions High-dose caspofungin regimen has good efficacy and safety,both for initial treatment and salvage therapy in patients with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis.
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Objective@#To evaluate the efficacy and safety of high-dose fluconazole alone or combined with flucytosine as initial therapy for cryptococcal meningitis (CM) in non-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related patients.@*Methods@#Twenty-five non-HIV-infected patients with CM from June 2015 to September 2018 in Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, who were initially treated with high-dose fluconazole with or without flucytosine for at least seven days were retrospectively reviewed.Clinical features and antifungal (600-800 mg/d) regimens were recorded, clinical responses and drug-related adverse events were evaluated. Mann-Whitney test and Fisher′s exact probabilities test were applied to compare variables between groups.@*Results@#Of the 25 patients enrolled in this study, 15 had predisposing factors. Headache (25 cases), fever (21 cases), vomiting (13 cases) and neck stiffness (13 cases) were common manifestations. Abnormalities of cranial computed tomography (CT) scan and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were found in 22 cases.Nineteen patients were treated with high-dose fluconazole plus flucytosine for initial therapy, and six patients were treated with high-dose fluconazole alone. The course of initial regimens with high-dose fluconazole was 42 (29, 120) days. At the end of initial therapy, partial response in 20 patients, stable response in three patients and death in two patients were observed, and the overall effective rate was 80%(20/25). In treatment failure group of initial treatment, the proportion of patients with baseline cerebrospinal fluid opening pressure over 300 mmH2O (1 mmH2O=0.009 8 kPa) and with altered mental status were both significantly higher compared with those in treatment success group. Fluconazole related adverse drug events were observed including elevated transaminases (one case), gastrointestinal symptoms combined with hypokalemia (two cases), and systemic rash (three cases). Except for three patients with rash reduced the dosage of fluconazole, no other patients were given dosage adjustment.@*Conclusion@#High-dose fluconazole alone or combined with flucytosine is effective and safe for the initial therapy of non-HIV-related CM patients.
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Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of high-dose fluconazole alone or combined with flucytosine as initial therapy for cryptococcal meningitis(CM)in non-human immunodeficiency virus(HIV)-related patients.Methods Twenty-five non-HIV-infected patients with CM from June 2015 to September 20 18 in Huashan Hospital,Fudan University,who were initially treated with high-dose fluconazole with or without flucytosine for at least seven days were retrospectively reviewed.Clinical features and antifungal(600-800 mg/d)regimens were recorded,clinical responses and drug-related adverse events were evaluated.Mann-Whitney test and Fisher's exact probabilities test were applied to compare variables between groups.Results of the 25 patients enrolled in this study,15 had predisposing factors.Headache(25 cases),fever(21 cases),vomiting(13 cases)and neck stiffness(13 cases)were common manifestations.Abnormalities of cranial computed tomography(CT)scan and/or magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)were found in 22 cases.Nineteen patients were treated with high-dose fluconazole plus flucytosine for initial therapy,and six patients were treated with high-dose fluconazole alone.The course of initial regimens with high-dose fuconazole was 42(29,120)days.At the end of initial therapy,partial response in 20 patients,stable response in three patients and death in two patients were observed,and the overall effective rate was 80％(20/25).In treatment failure group of initial treatment,the proportion of patients with baseline cerebrospinal fuid opening pressure over 300 mmH2 O(1 mmH2O=0.009 8 kPa)and with altered mental status were both significantly higher compared with those in treatment Success group.Fluconazole related adverse drug events were observed including elevated transaminases(one case),gastrointestinal symptoms combined with hypokalemia(two cases),and systemic rash(three cases).Except for three patients with rash reduced the dosage of fluconazole.no other patients were given dosage adjustment.Conclusion High-dose fluconazole alone or combined with flucytosine is effective and safe for the initial therapy of non-HIV-related CM patients.
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Objective To investigate the association between genetic polymorphisms of Dectin-2 and pulmonary cryptococcosis.Methods A total of 134 non-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)patients with pulmonary cryptococcosis and 464 healthy controls were included in this case control study.The peripheral leucocyte DNA was extracted and genotyping was performed by multiplex SNaPshot technology.The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)of rs11045418 located at 5′-flanking locus of Dectin-2 gene was genotyped.Patients without predisposing conditions were compared independently.The differences of gene polymorphism distributions compared between pulmonary patients and healthy control, and between patients without predisposing conditions and healthy control.All data were analyzed withχ2 tests.Results Among the total 134 patients,82 patients had no predisposing factors.Thirty two patients met the proven diagnosis criteria and 102 patients were probable pulmonary cryptococcosis.According to the site of infection, 72 patients had local infection in lungs and 62 patients had disseminated cryptococcosis.Three samples failed in genotyping,one of which was a patient without predisposing factor.Compared with the control group,there was a trend of increasing proportion of heterozygote rs11045418 CT in the 131 pulmonary cryptococcosis patients (59% vs 50%,P =0.069,OR=1.44,95%CI :0.97-2.13),and the heterozygote was significantly increased in 81 patients without predisposing conditions(64% vs 50%,P =0.017,OR= 1 .82,95 %CI :1 .11 -2.95 ).No significant difference of genotype distribution was found between the local and disseminated infection patients.Conclusion Our study shows that rs11045418 CT heterozygote in Dectin-2 is associated with the susceptibility of pulmonary cyrptococcosis among non-HIV-infected Chinese patients,which indicated that the change of Dectin-2 receptor may play a role in the pathogenesis of pulmonary cyrptococcosis.