Paracoccidioidomycosis

Convenor(s):

Maria Aparecida
Shikanai Yasuda
Marcus de Melo Teixeira
Eduardo Bagagli
Rosana Puccia (ropuccia@gmail.com )

Reports

Paracoccidioides 2016.doc

Overview

The main objective of this working group is to stimulate basic and clinical research in several aspects of paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM). Specifically they want to including the following topics:

Issues related to the serological diagnosis of PCM caused by the possible lack of antigenic identity between Paracoccidioides brasiliensis versus P. lutzii.
Molecular genotyping of Paracoccidioides spp. via whole genome sequencing.
Investigation of the environmental sources of P. brasiliensis and P. lutzii in endemic areas.
Investigate the possible differences between clinical forms of PCM caused by P. brasiliensis and P. lutzii.
The response to antifungal therapy of PCM caused by P. brasiliensis and P. lutzii.
Stimulation of paracoccidioidomycosis research in unexplored areas of the disease by promoting workshops and training for diagnosis

Achievements

Drs. Zoilo Pires de Camargo and Rosane Hanh are researching the production of a P. lutzii-specific antigen preparation that has been validated for serological tests (See publications 1-3 below). It is currently being tested in different medical centres and looks promising to diagnose P. lutzii infections.
Dr. Maria A. Shikanai Yasuda and other working group members participated in the 2nd Brazilian Guidelines on Paracoccidioidomycosis for the management of patients infected by either species. This document will be submitted for publication in 2017 and presented during ISHAM2018.
54 Paracoccidioides sp. genomes have been sequenced, most of them thanks to a collaboration under the umbrella of this ISHAM working group. Recent collaborations include Dr. Gustavo Giusiano (National University of the Northeast, Corrientes, Argentina) and Dr. Mireya Mendoza (Institute of Biomedicine, Caracas, Venezuela) (See publication 4 below).
The molecular identification of Paracoccidioides sp. in the environment is under the leadership of Dr. Eduardo Bagagli and, for the first time, we have identified P. lutzii in soil samples. Atypical soil-derived clones from P. brasiliensis were also identified and unexplored areas are under investigation (See publication 5 below).
Educational seminars in three Northwestern Brazilian cities took place in 2015. Physicians, public health technicians and students participated in seminars on clinical management, serology and molecular diagnosis of paracoccidioidomycosis.
The XIII International Meeting on Paracoccidioidomycosis will be held in Foz do Iguaçu (Brazil), October 22-24, 2017, chaired by Dr. Carlos Taborda.

Publications

G Gegembauer, LM Araujo, EF Pereira, AM Rodrigues, AM Paniago, RC Hahn, ZP de Camargo. Serology of paracoccidioidomycosis due to Paracoccidioides lutzii. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2014;8(7):e2986. (Link here to the article)
JLP Queiroz Junior, ZP de Camargo, T Tadano, AM Rodrigues, DT Takarara, G Gegembauer, LM Araujo, RC Hahn. Serological and antigenic profiles of clinical isolates of Paracoccidioides spp. from Central Western Brazil. Mycoses. 2014;57(8):466-72. (Link here to the article)
JF Mendes, GB Klafke, AP Albano, AL Cabana, AJ Teles , ZP de Camargo, MO Xavier, MC Meireles. Paracoccidioidomycosis infection in domestic and wild mammals by Paracoccidioides lutzii. Mycoses. 2017. doi: 10.1111/myc.12608. PubMed PMID: 28295653 (Link here to the article)
JF Munoz, RA Farrer, CA Desjardins, JE Gallo, S Sykes, S Sakthikumar, E Misas, EA Whisto, E Bagagli, CM Soares, MM Teixeira, JW Taylor, OK Clay, JG McEwen, CA Cuomo. Genome Diversity, Recombination, and Virulence across the Major Lineages of Paracoccidioides. mSphere. 2016;1(5). doi: 10.1128/mSphere.00213-16. (Link here to the article)
TD Arantes, RC Theodoro, MM Teixeira, SM Bosco, E Bagagli. Environmental Mapping of Paracoccidioides spp. in Brazil Reveals New Clues into Genetic Diversity, Biogeography and Wild Host Association. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2016;10(4):e0004606. (Link here to the article)