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Microbiological Rapid On-Site Evaluation for Pulmonary Infectious Diseases
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Pneumocystis jirovecii colonisation in patients with interstitial lung disease

S Vidal1, C de la Horra, J Martín

  • 1Department of Pneumology, Virgen del Rocío University Hospital, Seville, Spain. svidals@telefonica.net

Clinical Microbiology and Infection : the Official Publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
|February 3, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Pneumocystis jirovecii colonization is common in patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD). This study found a high prevalence of P. jirovecii in Spanish patients undergoing bronchoscopy for suspected ILD.

Area of Science:

  • Pulmonary Medicine
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Microbiology

Background:

  • Interstitial lung disease (ILD) encompasses a range of lung disorders.
  • Pneumocystis jirovecii is an opportunistic pathogen.
  • The role of P. jirovecii in immunocompetent individuals with ILD is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of Pneumocystis jirovecii colonization in patients with suspected ILD.
  • To investigate potential associations between P. jirovecii carriage and ILD subtypes or patient characteristics.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective study of 80 patients undergoing bronchoscopy and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL).
  • Detection of P. jirovecii using nested PCR targeting the mtLSU rRNA gene in BAL samples.
  • Classification of ILD patients into idiopathic interstitial pneumonias, sarcoidosis, and other ILDs.

Main Results:

  • Overall P. jirovecii colonization prevalence was 33.8%.
  • Colonization rates varied among ILD groups: 37.8% (idiopathic interstitial pneumonias), 18.8% (sarcoidosis), and 37% (other ILDs).
  • Smokers showed a higher prevalence of P. jirovecii carriage, but no other significant differences were noted between carriers and non-carriers.

Conclusions:

  • A high prevalence of P. jirovecii colonization exists in immunocompetent patients with ILDs in Spain.
  • P. jirovecii may play a role in the natural history of ILDs.
  • Further research is warranted to elucidate the clinical significance of P. jirovecii in ILD.

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