Puzzling paracoccidioidomycosis: Factors associated with the severity of Paracoccidioides lutzii infections.

OBJECTIVES: Historically, the Brazilian Central-West region has had high numbers of paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) cases caused by the dimorphic fungus Paracoccidioides lutzii. METHODS: This epidemiological, observational, analytical, cross-sectional study was performed to investigate the clinical and laboratory data of 44 PCM patients with a culture-proven P. lutzii infection. All patients were referred to the Systemic Mycosis Center, Júlio Muller University Hospital, Cuiabá, Brazil, during January 2017 to March 2020. The neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) was calculated and dichotomized by its median value to include in the identification of factors associated with severity. RESULTS: At admission, 13 (31.7%) patients showed the disseminated multifocal chronic form of PCM and 16 (36.4%) patients met the clinical severity criteria. Treatment prescribed on admission did not follow the recommendations of the Brazilian Guideline for the Clinical Management of Paracoccidioidomycosis in 26% of the severe PCM cases (prevalence ratio 0.26, 95% confidence interval 0.14-0.49; P < 0.0001). Patients with severe PCM had a higher NLR that was greater than the median (≥4.11). CONCLUSIONS: The NLR biomarker complements the criteria for PCM severity. Applying the low-cost NLR test can greatly increase the diagnostic sensitivity when screening patients for PCM and contribute to better control of the disease, management of complications, and therapeutic strategies.

Paracoccidioidomycosis due to P lutzii: The importance of neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio in the symptomatic and asymptomatic phases in severe cases.

BACKGROUND: PCM is a neglected systemic mycosis endemic in Brazil. The middle-west region of Brazil has shown the highest number of PCM by Paracoccidioides lutzii (P lutzii) cases. Differentiating cases of severe PCM from non-severe ones should be a concern at the bedside. Diagnosis of severe PCM by P lutzii is based on the subjectivity of clinical manifestations, which can result in a delay in starting its treatment and, consequently evolution to severe sequelae. There is not laboratory biomarker available to support the early diagnosis of severe PCM that is feasible for all the realities that coexist in Brazil. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the usefulness of laboratory biomarkers as erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP) and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in the diagnosis of severe PCM. PATIENTS/METHODS: ESR, CRP and NLR were analysed for 44 patients with PCM by P lutzii and a Receiver Operation Characteristic (ROC) curve were generated to identify the NLR cut-off point and point out the presence of severe PCM. RESULTS: Sixteen (36.4%) had severe PCM and 28 (63.6%) had non-severe PCM. The mean NLR was higher and statistically significant among patients with severe PCM than among those with non-severe PCM. The area under the ROC curve was 0.859 for the diagnosis of severe PCM. The cut-off point for NLR for the diagnosis of severe PCM was 3.318 (sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 77%). CONCLUSIONS: According to results, it is plausible to conclude that NLR represents a potential biomarker for the diagnosis of severe PCM.