Isolation of the Fungus
            <i>Geosmithia argillacea</i>
            in Sputum of People with Cystic Fibrosis

Barton, Richard; Borman, Andrew M.; Johnson, Elizabeth; Houbraken, Jos; Hobson, Richard P.; Denton, M.; Conway, S.P.; Brownlee, K.G.; Peckham, Daniel; Lee, T. W. R.

doi:10.1128/jcm.00184-10

Cited by 43 publications

(51 citation statements)

References 7 publications

(5 reference statements)

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“…Since its first description in humans as Penicillium emersonii (2), then as Geosmithia argillacea (12,13), and finally as R. argillacea (1), the number of case reports involving the R. argillacea species complex is dramatically increasing in patients with CF or CGD. Accordingly, 24 out of the 27 patients included in the present study were diagnosed since 2005 and 15 of them since 2010.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) (9, 10, 11) and cystic fibrosis (CF) (12,13,14,15,16,17) are the major underlying clinical conditions. Rasamsonia infections may also occur in bone marrow transplant recipients (18, 19) but also may occur in the absence of any predisposing factors, as evidenced by the pulmonary and aortic graft infection reported by Doyon et al (20) in an immunocompetent individual.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Long-Term Rasamsonia argillacea Complex Species Colonization Revealed by PCR Amplification of Repetitive DNA Sequences in Cystic Fibrosis Patients

et al. 2016

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The aim of this work was to document molecular epidemiology of Rasamsonia argillacea species complex isolates from cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. In this work, 116 isolates belonging to this species complex and collected from 26 CF patients and one patient with chronic granulomatous disease were characterized using PCR amplification assays of repetitive DNA sequences and electrophoretic separation of amplicons (rep-PCR). Data revealed a clustering consistent with molecular species identification. A single species was recovered from most patients. Rasamsonia aegroticola was the most common species, followed by R. argillacea sensu stricto and R. piperina, while R. eburnea was not identified. Of 29 genotypes, 7 were shared by distinct patients while 22 were patient specific. In each clinical sample, most isolates exhibited an identical genotype. Genotyping of isolates recovered from sequential samples from the same patient confirmed the capability of R. aegroticola and R. argillacea isolates to chronically colonize the airways. A unique genotype was recovered from two siblings during a 6-month period. In the other cases, a largely dominant genotype was detected. Present results which support the use of rep-PCR for both identification and genotyping for the R. argillacea species complex provide the first molecular evidence of chronic airway colonization by these fungi in CF patients.R asamsonia argillacea, which was first reported in clinical practice as a Penicillium species, then reclassified in the genus Geosmithia, and finally reassigned in 2013 to the new genus Rasamsonia, is now considered an emerging pathogen (1). Since its first report in humans as Penicillium emersonii (2), there has been an increasing number of cases reported in both dogs (3, 4, 5) and humans (6). Nevertheless, it is likely that the number of human infections caused by this fungus has long been underestimated because of the lack of specificity of its morphological features and to subsequent misidentifications with some Penicillium or Paecilomyces species.Only six species were previously recognized in the genus Rasamsonia described in 2012, i.e., R. argillacea, R. composticola, R. brevistipitata, R. byssochlamydoides, R. cylindrospora, and R. emersonii (7). However, multilocus sequence analysis of several R. argillacea isolates revealed a clustering which superimposed some phenotypic differences. Therefore, R. argillacea is now considered a species complex comprising four distinct species: R. argillacea sensu stricto, R. piperina, R. aegroticola, and R. eburnea (8).Infections caused by species of the R. argillacea complex have been reported in various clinical contexts in human. Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) (9, 10, 11) and cystic fibrosis (CF) (12,13,14,15,16,17) are the major underlying clinical conditions. Rasamsonia infections may also occur in bone marrow transplant recipients (18, 19) but also may occur in the absence of any predisposing factors, as evidenced by the pulmonary and aortic graft infection reported by Doyon et al. (...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

Long-Term Rasamsonia argillacea Complex Species Colonization Revealed by PCR Amplification of Repetitive DNA Sequences in Cystic Fibrosis Patients

et al. 2016

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“…With the advent of molecular methods, it is now possible to resolve the phylogenetic and taxonomic relationships among these fungi. As summarized in Table 2 Geosmithia argillacea is a common thermotolerant environmental mold that has recently been reported as a cause of invasive fungal infections in patients with chronic granulomatous disease (25) and as a chronic respiratory tract colonizer in patients with cystic fibrosis (53). Following a molecular analysis that showed that Geosmithia is polyphyletic, Houbraken et al (26) created a new genus, Rasamsonia, to accommodate G. argillacea and a number of related species.…”

Section: Gattii) and Vgiii (C Bacillisporus)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Name Changes for Fungi of Medical Importance, 2012 to 2015

Warnock

2017

J Clin Microbiol

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“…In 2009, a fatal case of disseminated infection in a German shepherd dog was reported (5). Subsequently, eight cases of airway colonization in patients with cystic fibrosis, without evidence of clinical infection, were reported (4,10). Nine cases of pulmonary infections in patients with chronic granulomatous disease have been reported, two of which involved the chest wall and ribs and one of which disseminated to the brain (2,3).…”

Section: Case Reportmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rasamsonia argillacea Pulmonary and Aortic Graft Infection in an Immune-Competent Patient

Doyon¹,

Sutton²,

Theodore³

et al. 2013

J Clin Microbiol

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Rasamsonia argillacea (formerly known as Geosmithia argillacea) is a fungus recently recognized as a pathogen of immunocompromised patients. Here we report the first case of Rasamsonia infection in an immunocompetent host, presenting as a pulmonary and aortic graft infection. Its morphological similarity to nonpathogenic Penicillium species delayed the diagnosis and initiation of appropriate treatment. CASE REPORTA 56-year-old man presented to our clinic in 2009 for evaluation of progressive, chronic necrotizing pulmonary aspergillosis. In 1998, he had been diagnosed with an aneurysm of the proximal descending thoracic aorta, believed to be secondary to a traumatic aortic injury suffered during a motor vehicle accident in 1979. An endovascular stent graft was placed for treatment of his aortic aneurysm, and he was followed with serial imaging. On routine follow-up imaging of his aneurysm in 2005, he was found to have a cavitary lesion in the left upper lobe of his lung. A bronchoscopy was performed, and cultures revealed Aspergillus fumigatus. He was treated with itraconazole following this diagnosis, and subsequent chest computed tomography (CT) later that year revealed radiographic improvement. In January 2009, repeat CT showed an increase in the size of the cystic cavities in the left lung, and new lesions were visualized in the left lower lobe. He was referred to our clinic for evaluation.At the time of his visit, the patient described a mild cough and scant hemoptysis several times per week. He denied any constitutional symptoms or pleuritic chest pain. Given the concern for a poorly controlled Aspergillus infection, a decision was made to change to voriconazole, but due to financial constraints, itraconazole was continued. The patient continued to suffer from hemoptysis. The close proximity of the pulmonary infection to the aortic aneurysm was concerning for future direct spread of infection, so the decision of surgical therapy was made. In August 2010, the patient underwent a left lower lobectomy with resection of the pulmonary cavity. The infection was found to abut the aortic aneurysm, but there was no evidence of invasion. Pathological examination of the resected lung lesion revealed pleural and subpleural fibrosis with septate fungal hyphae thought to be consistent with an Aspergillus species (Fig. 1). The intraoperative fungal cultures were reported as Penicillium. It was concluded that the cultures at the time of surgery were negative for Aspergillus due to the concurrent itraconazole therapy and that the Penicillium species was a colonizer, not a pathogen. Shortly after surgery, the patient was switched to voriconazole at 200 mg by mouth twice daily.Following surgery, the patient continued to complain of cough and hemoptysis. A CT scan in September 2011 revealed communication between the superior lingual bronchus and new left-sided loculated hydropneumothorax, as well as fluid within the aneurysm sac near the aortic graft (Fig. 2). These findings were very suspicious for progressive infection now i...

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Isolation of the Fungus Geosmithia argillacea in Sputum of People with Cystic Fibrosis

Cited by 43 publications

References 7 publications

Long-Term Rasamsonia argillacea Complex Species Colonization Revealed by PCR Amplification of Repetitive DNA Sequences in Cystic Fibrosis Patients

Long-Term Rasamsonia argillacea Complex Species Colonization Revealed by PCR Amplification of Repetitive DNA Sequences in Cystic Fibrosis Patients

Name Changes for Fungi of Medical Importance, 2012 to 2015

Rasamsonia argillacea Pulmonary and Aortic Graft Infection in an Immune-Competent Patient

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