Patrice Le Pape1, Rafael Matos Ximenes2, Beatriz Ariza3, Juan Iriarte4, Jaime Alvarado4, Estelle Robert5, Claudia Sierra6, Anita Montañez6, Carlos Álvarez-Moreno7. 1. Département de Parasitologie et Mycologie Médicale, Université de Nantes, Nantes Atlantique universités, EA1155-IICiMed, Nantes, France; Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, CHU de Nantes, Institut de Biologie, France. Electronic address: Patrice.Le-Pape@univ-nantes.fr. 2. Département de Parasitologie et Mycologie Médicale, Université de Nantes, Nantes Atlantique universités, EA1155-IICiMed, Nantes, France; Departamento de Antibióticos, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil. 3. Hospital Universitario San Ignacio, Bogotá, Colombia. 4. CLINICOS, Programas de atención Integral S.A.S IPS, Bogotá, Colombia. 5. Département de Parasitologie et Mycologie Médicale, Université de Nantes, Nantes Atlantique universités, EA1155-IICiMed, Nantes, France. 6. Laboratorio Clínico, clínicas Colsanitas, Bogotá, Colombia. 7. Département de Parasitologie et Mycologie Médicale, Université de Nantes, Nantes Atlantique universités, EA1155-IICiMed, Nantes, France; Departamento de Medicina Interna, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia; Clínica Universitaria Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: During a cross-sectional study on allergic aspergillosis in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease patients in Bogotá, Colombia, we reported the case of a 65-year-female patient with GOLD 2011 D classification, presenting dyspnea at the time of visit and aspergillus in repeated sputum cultures. METHODS: The isolate was identified at the section level based on macroscopic and microscopic characteristics and gene sequencing was used for precise molecular identification. Antifungal sensibility was determined by Sensititre YeastOne™ while virulence was assessed using a Galleria mellonella larvae model. RESULTS: The clinical isolate was first identified as Aspergillus section Flavi and sequencing of β-tubulin and calmodulin genes, in addition to the identification of alfR (aflatoxin regulator) gene, allowed the undoubted identification of the clinical isolate as Aspergillus caelatus. It exhibited virulence in G. mellonella similar to A. flavus and a high in vitro susceptibility against all antifungals except for amphotericin B. CONCLUSION: This is the first human case of airway colonization attributed to A. caelatus. Resistance pattern justified the interest to discriminate this cryptic species.
BACKGROUND: During a cross-sectional study on allergic aspergillosis in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseasepatients in Bogotá, Colombia, we reported the case of a 65-year-female patient with GOLD 2011 D classification, presenting dyspnea at the time of visit and aspergillus in repeated sputum cultures. METHODS: The isolate was identified at the section level based on macroscopic and microscopic characteristics and gene sequencing was used for precise molecular identification. Antifungal sensibility was determined by Sensititre YeastOne™ while virulence was assessed using a Galleria mellonella larvae model. RESULTS: The clinical isolate was first identified as Aspergillus section Flavi and sequencing of β-tubulin and calmodulin genes, in addition to the identification of alfR (aflatoxin regulator) gene, allowed the undoubted identification of the clinical isolate as Aspergillus caelatus. It exhibited virulence in G. mellonella similar to A. flavus and a high in vitro susceptibility against all antifungals except for amphotericin B. CONCLUSION: This is the first human case of airway colonization attributed to A. caelatus. Resistance pattern justified the interest to discriminate this cryptic species.