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Invasive fungal infections in solid organ transplant recipients

Shmuel Shoham1, Kieren A Marr

  • 1Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. sshoham1@jhmi.edu

Future Microbiology
|May 10, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Invasive fungal infections pose significant risks for solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients. This review covers epidemiology, diagnostics, and treatments for common fungal infections like candidiasis and aspergillosis in SOT patients.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Mycology
  • Transplantation Medicine
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients face a high risk of invasive fungal infections (IFIs).
  • Common IFIs include candidiasis, aspergillosis, and cryptococcosis, with variations based on transplant type (e.g., aspergillosis in lung transplants).
  • IFIs result from complex interactions between host immunity and fungal factors like virulence and drug resistance.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To detail the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of prevalent fungal infections in SOT recipients.
  • To review current advancements in diagnostic tools for IFIs.
  • To discuss progress in antifungal chemotherapy and its influence on prophylaxis and treatment strategies.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review focusing on epidemiology, clinical features, diagnostics, and treatment of IFIs in SOT.
  • Analysis of host and fungal factors contributing to invasive disease development.
  • Synthesis of recent findings on diagnostic modalities and antifungal therapies.

Main Results:

  • Candidiasis is the most frequent IFI in SOT, except for lung transplants where aspergillosis predominates.
  • Host defenses and fungal virulence are critical determinants of invasive fungal disease.
  • Advances in diagnostics and antifungal agents are reshaping management approaches.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding the epidemiology and risk factors for IFIs is crucial for SOT patient care.
  • Novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies are improving outcomes for fungal infections in transplant recipients.
  • Continued research is essential to optimize prophylaxis and treatment paradigms for IFIs in SOT.

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