ABSTRACT
Aspergillus and Candida species are the main causative agents of invasive fungal infections in immunocompromised human hosts. However, saprophytic fungi are now increasingly being recognized as serious pathogens. Trichoderma longibrachiatum has recently been described as an emerging pathogen in immunocompromised patients. We herein report a case of isolated suspected invasive pulmonary infection with T. longibrachiatum in a 29-year-old man with severe aplastic anemia who underwent allogeneic stem cell transplantation. A direct microscopic examination of sputum, bronchoaspiration, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples revealed the presence of fungal septate hyphae. The infection was successfully treated with 1 mg/kg/day liposomal amphotericin B.
Subject(s)
Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation , Lung Diseases, Fungal/diagnosis , Opportunistic Infections/diagnosis , Trichoderma/isolation & purification , Adult , Amphotericin B/administration & dosage , Amphotericin B/therapeutic use , Anemia, Aplastic/therapy , Antifungal Agents/administration & dosage , Antifungal Agents/therapeutic use , Diagnosis, Differential , Humans , Immunocompromised Host , Lung Diseases, Fungal/drug therapy , Lung Diseases, Fungal/microbiology , Male , Opportunistic Infections/drug therapy , Opportunistic Infections/microbiologyABSTRACT
A 66 year-old male patient with rheumatoid arthritis, was admitted due to bronchial pneumonia. Anti-nuclear antibody and anti-DNA antibody were both detected in the patient's serum and many LE-like cells were found in the pleural effusion. In addition, M-proteins(IgG-kappa type, IgM-kappa type) were detected in both serum and pleural effusion by immunofixation electrophoresis. Purified IgG fraction by gel filtration(Superdex 200HR) showed high titer of anti-nuclear antibody(x160) and anti-DNA(39.2 AU/ml) antibody. Furthermore, anti-DNA antibody was detected in the fraction III(fraction of M-protein) by ion-exchange chromatography. In conclusion, these results indicate that M-protein(IgG3-kappa type) contains anti-DNA antibody and it is suggests that M-protein induces the production of LE like cell in this case.
