PneumocystisColonization Is Highly Prevalent in the Autopsied Lungs of the General Population

Abstract

A mild P. jirovecii pulmonary infection is prevalent in more than half of the general adult population. Our results strengthen the concept that immunocompetent adults develop frequent self-limited reinfections throughout life and participate in the circulation of P. jirovecii as an infective reservoir for susceptible individuals.

Detection of Pneumocystis jirovecii by Quantitative PCR To Differentiate Colonization and Pneumonia in Immunocompromised HIV-Positive and HIV-Negative Patients

“…During the 2000s, new diagnostic methods, such as molecular biology methods, allowed the detection of P. jirovecii in the sputum of healthy immunocompetent individuals, highlighting the fact that subjects without clinical symptoms of PCP can be colonized by the fungus (11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16). This colonization of nonimmunocompromised patients has cast doubt on its importance in sudden infant death syndrome, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis, and other pulmonary syndromes (12,15,(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28).…”

“…This colonization of nonimmunocompromised patients has cast doubt on its importance in sudden infant death syndrome, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis, and other pulmonary syndromes (12,15,(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28). Although the clinical conditions and diseases for which P. jirovecii is responsible are unclear, the rate of colonization among individuals is underestimated (29).…”

Características clínicas, diagnósticas y pronosticas de pacientes con neumonía por Pneumocystis jiroveci en individuos infectados por virus de inmunodeficiencia humana e individuos inmunocomprometidos por otra etiología: comparative study of cases in HIV-infected patients and immunocompromised non-HIV-infected patients

“…En la literatura científica se reportan incidencias de colonización de hasta 20%, independiente de la situación inmunitaria 30,31 e incluso mayores a 60% en estudios anatomo-patológicos 32 . La verdadera implicancia de una colonización por P. jiroveci no está clara.…”

Recent‐onset systemic lupus erythematosus complicated by acute respiratory failure

“…Previously named Pneumocystis carinii, this fungus is asymptomatically present in the lungs of up to 65% of adults (16) and only leads to clinical disease and tissue damage in the setting of cell-mediated immune dysfunction, predominantly CD4 T lymphocytes.…”