ABSTRACT
Objective:To explore the clinical and chest CT features of anti-interferon(IFN)-γ autoantibodies-positive talaromycosis marneffei (TSM) infection in human immune deficiency virus (HIV)-negative patients.Methods:Clinical data and chest CT findings including pulmonary manifestations, bronchial changes, pleural changes, and extrapulmonary manifestations in 54 HIV-negative patients with Talaromyces marneffei (TM) infection and positive anti-interferon-γ(IFN-γ) autoantibody in the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University from December 2012 to September 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. CT score was rated for the degree of lung involvement, and the difference of involvement at different regions of the lung were compared. Results:Of 54 patients, 46 cases had fever, 43 cases had cough and expectoration, 28 cases had cutaneous or subcutaneous lesion, and 19 cases had arthritis or arthralgia. Laboratory tests showed that the value of CD4/CD8 decreased in 29 cases and platelet count increased in 32 cases. Only one of 54 patients had no abnormal findings on chest CT. In the remaining patients, chest CT manifestations were diverse, mainly presenting as fibrous cord-like lesions (87.0%, 47/54), lymph node enlargement (75.9%, 41/54), sporadic nodules (74.1%, 40/54), patchy consolidation (72.2%, 39/54), pleural effusion (59.2%, 32/54), and consolidation lesions associated with air bronchogram (63.0%, 34/54). Most of the lesions showed bilateral distribution (77.8%, 46/54), and involved both peripheral and central regions in 38 cases (70.4%, 38/54). CT score showed that there was no significant difference in the degree of involvement at different regions of the lung.Conclusions:The clinical and imaging manifestations of anti-IFN-γ antibody-positive patients with TM infection are characteristic. Most TSM patients with positive anti-IFN-γ antibody have fever, cough and expectoration. The main features of chest CT are cord focus, nodules, consolidation and pleural effusion. Lymph node enlargement often coexists with the above signs, and most of the lesions are distributed bilaterally.