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Published on: March 22, 2012
Molecular epidemiology of invasive stomatitis due to Aspergillus flavus in patients with acute leukemia
Yoshinari Myoken1, Tatsumi Sugata, Yoshinori Fujita
1Department of Oral Surgery, Hiroshima Red Cross and Atomic Bomb Survivors Hospital, 1-9-6 Senda-machi, Naka-ku, Hiroshima, Japan. myoken@do5.enjoy.ne.jp
Background:
Invasive oral aspergillosis is a rare complication and only little information on the epidemiology of Aspergillus flavus infection is available. We present here the molecular analysis of the epidemiology of invasive stomatitis due to Aspergillus flavus in patients with acute leukemia.
Methods:
During a 5-year period (1992-1996), six isolates of A. flavus were obtained from leukemic patients with invasive Aspergillus stomatitis. Random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) with three different PCR primers was carried out to investigate the DNA typing of the isolates.
Results:
The molecular analysis using RAPD revealed that three isolates of A. flavus obtained in 1992 from three patients were of the same type, whereas each of the isolates from the other three patients had a distinct unique band, resulting in four groups of A. flavus.
Conclusion:
As the three patients with invasive oral aspergillosis detected in 1992 were infected by a single strain of A. flavus, the strain was suspected to have caused a nosocomial outbreak of invasive oral aspergillosis in the hematology unit.
Insights
Molecular analysis revealed a single Aspergillus flavus strain caused invasive oral aspergillosis in three leukemia patients in 1992, suggesting a nosocomial outbreak. This highlights the importance of tracking fungal infections in immunocompromised individuals.
Area of Science:
- Mycology
- Infectious Diseases
- Molecular Epidemiology
Background:
- Invasive oral aspergillosis is a rare complication, particularly in acute leukemia patients.
- Limited epidemiological data exists for Aspergillus flavus infections.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the epidemiology of invasive stomatitis caused by Aspergillus flavus in acute leukemia patients.
- To perform molecular analysis on Aspergillus flavus isolates.
Main Methods:
- Collected six Aspergillus flavus isolates from leukemic patients with invasive stomatitis over a 5-year period (1992-1996).
- Utilized Random Amplification of Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) with three PCR primers for DNA typing of the isolates.
Main Results:
- Molecular analysis identified three isolates from 1992 as the same Aspergillus flavus type.
- The remaining three isolates each showed unique banding patterns, resulting in four distinct groups of Aspergillus flavus.
- This suggests a potential common source of infection for the three patients in 1992.
Conclusions:
- A single strain of Aspergillus flavus was suspected in the three patients diagnosed in 1992.
- This indicates a possible nosocomial outbreak of invasive oral aspergillosis within the hematology unit.
- Highlights the need for molecular tools in understanding fungal outbreaks in vulnerable patient populations.
