The Emergence of Rare Clinical Aspergillus Species in Qatar: Molecular Characterization and Antifungal Susceptibility Profiles
Aspergillus are ubiquitous mold species that infect immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients. The symptoms are diverse and range from allergic reactions, bronchopulmonary infection, and bronchitis, to invasive aspergillosis. The aim of this study was to characterize 70 Aspergillus isolates rec...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2019-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Microbiology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmicb.2019.01677/full |
| _version_ | 1818853741211680768 |
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| author | Husam Salah Husam Salah Michaela Lackner Jos Houbraken Bart Theelen Cornelia Lass-Flörl Teun Boekhout Teun Boekhout Muna Almaslamani Saad J. Taj-Aldeen |
| author_facet | Husam Salah Husam Salah Michaela Lackner Jos Houbraken Bart Theelen Cornelia Lass-Flörl Teun Boekhout Teun Boekhout Muna Almaslamani Saad J. Taj-Aldeen |
| author_sort | Husam Salah |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Aspergillus are ubiquitous mold species that infect immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients. The symptoms are diverse and range from allergic reactions, bronchopulmonary infection, and bronchitis, to invasive aspergillosis. The aim of this study was to characterize 70 Aspergillus isolates recovered from clinical specimens of patients with various clinical conditions presented at Hamad general hospital in Doha, Qatar, by using molecular methods and to determine their in vitro antifungal susceptibility patterns using the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) M38-A2 reference method. Fourteen Aspergillus species were identified by sequencing β-tubulin and calmodulin genes, including 10 rare and cryptic species not commonly recovered from human clinical specimens. Aspergillus welwitschiae is reported in this study for the first time in patients with fungal rhinosinusitis (n = 6) and one patient with a lower respiratory infection. Moreover, Aspergillus pseudonomius is reported in a patient with fungal rhinosinusitis which is considered as the first report ever from clinical specimens. In addition, Aspergillus sublatus is reported for the first time in a patient with cystic fibrosis. In general, our Aspergillus strains exhibited low MIC values for most of the antifungal drugs tested. One strain of Aspergillus fumigatus showed high MECs for echinocandins and low MICs for the rest of the drugs tested. Another strain of A. fumigatus exhibited high MIC for itraconazole and categorized as non-wild type. These findings require further analysis of their molecular basis of resistance. In conclusion, reliable identification of Aspergillus species is achieved by using molecular sequencing, especially for the emerging rare and cryptic species. They are mostly indistinguishable by conventional methods and might exhibit variable antifungal susceptibility profiles. Moreover, investigation of the antifungal susceptibility patterns is necessary for improved antifungal therapy against aspergillosis. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T07:41:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6ab2212ba31241558212adf895d59e79 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-302X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T07:41:38Z |
| publishDate | 2019-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Microbiology |
| spelling | doaj.art-6ab2212ba31241558212adf895d59e792022-12-21T20:30:27ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Microbiology1664-302X2019-07-011010.3389/fmicb.2019.01677471267The Emergence of Rare Clinical Aspergillus Species in Qatar: Molecular Characterization and Antifungal Susceptibility ProfilesHusam Salah0Husam Salah1Michaela Lackner2Jos Houbraken3Bart Theelen4Cornelia Lass-Flörl5Teun Boekhout6Teun Boekhout7Muna Almaslamani8Saad J. Taj-Aldeen9Division of Microbiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, QatarYeast Research, Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Utrecht, NetherlandsDivision of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, AustriaApplied and Industrial Mycology, Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Utrecht, NetherlandsYeast Research, Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Utrecht, NetherlandsDivision of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, AustriaYeast Research, Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Utrecht, NetherlandsInstitute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, NetherlandsInstitute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, NetherlandsDivision of Microbiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, QatarAspergillus are ubiquitous mold species that infect immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients. The symptoms are diverse and range from allergic reactions, bronchopulmonary infection, and bronchitis, to invasive aspergillosis. The aim of this study was to characterize 70 Aspergillus isolates recovered from clinical specimens of patients with various clinical conditions presented at Hamad general hospital in Doha, Qatar, by using molecular methods and to determine their in vitro antifungal susceptibility patterns using the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) M38-A2 reference method. Fourteen Aspergillus species were identified by sequencing β-tubulin and calmodulin genes, including 10 rare and cryptic species not commonly recovered from human clinical specimens. Aspergillus welwitschiae is reported in this study for the first time in patients with fungal rhinosinusitis (n = 6) and one patient with a lower respiratory infection. Moreover, Aspergillus pseudonomius is reported in a patient with fungal rhinosinusitis which is considered as the first report ever from clinical specimens. In addition, Aspergillus sublatus is reported for the first time in a patient with cystic fibrosis. In general, our Aspergillus strains exhibited low MIC values for most of the antifungal drugs tested. One strain of Aspergillus fumigatus showed high MECs for echinocandins and low MICs for the rest of the drugs tested. Another strain of A. fumigatus exhibited high MIC for itraconazole and categorized as non-wild type. These findings require further analysis of their molecular basis of resistance. In conclusion, reliable identification of Aspergillus species is achieved by using molecular sequencing, especially for the emerging rare and cryptic species. They are mostly indistinguishable by conventional methods and might exhibit variable antifungal susceptibility profiles. Moreover, investigation of the antifungal susceptibility patterns is necessary for improved antifungal therapy against aspergillosis.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmicb.2019.01677/fullaspergillosismolecular identificationantifungal susceptibilityQatarMiddle East |
| spellingShingle | Husam Salah Husam Salah Michaela Lackner Jos Houbraken Bart Theelen Cornelia Lass-Flörl Teun Boekhout Teun Boekhout Muna Almaslamani Saad J. Taj-Aldeen The Emergence of Rare Clinical Aspergillus Species in Qatar: Molecular Characterization and Antifungal Susceptibility Profiles Frontiers in Microbiology aspergillosis molecular identification antifungal susceptibility Qatar Middle East |
| title | The Emergence of Rare Clinical Aspergillus Species in Qatar: Molecular Characterization and Antifungal Susceptibility Profiles |
| title_full | The Emergence of Rare Clinical Aspergillus Species in Qatar: Molecular Characterization and Antifungal Susceptibility Profiles |
| title_fullStr | The Emergence of Rare Clinical Aspergillus Species in Qatar: Molecular Characterization and Antifungal Susceptibility Profiles |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Emergence of Rare Clinical Aspergillus Species in Qatar: Molecular Characterization and Antifungal Susceptibility Profiles |
| title_short | The Emergence of Rare Clinical Aspergillus Species in Qatar: Molecular Characterization and Antifungal Susceptibility Profiles |
| title_sort | emergence of rare clinical aspergillus species in qatar molecular characterization and antifungal susceptibility profiles |
| topic | aspergillosis molecular identification antifungal susceptibility Qatar Middle East |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmicb.2019.01677/full |
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