Sporothrix and Sporotrichosis 3.0

A special issue of Journal of Fungi (ISSN 2309-608X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 December 2023) | Viewed by 10817

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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sporotrichosis is a deep-seated fungal infection caused by members of the Sporothrix pathogenic clade, a group of species capable of growing on vegetal, animal, and human tissues. Although it has been more than a century since the first report of the disease and its causative agent, sporotrichosis is regarded as a neglected disease, and both the clinical and molecular aspects have received little attention until recently. In the last decade, research on this fungal genus and its caused diseases has gained momentum, and the repositories of the scientific literature have witnessed increases in both the number of interested research groups and the variety of subjects being explored. The specialized scientific community has generated enough information to allow the “omics” study of these organisms, and the development and application of molecular tools for gene manipulation has started to uncover valuable information about the genes and metabolic pathways in Sporothrix biology; new compounds with antifungal properties against these organisms are continuously sought to provide alternative options to those currently used in treatment. Diagnosis has also experienced significant improvements, and new serological and molecular alternatives are under evaluation. Thus, this Special Issue aims to provide an up-to-date vision of the current knowledge on these organisms and the infections they cause, relevant in the clinical and veterinary fields, and to inspire new research groups to study this fascinating group of fungal species.

Prof. Dr. Hector M. Mora-Montes
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • virulence factors
  • epidemiology
  • host–fungus interaction
  • animal disease
  • human infection
  • antifungal drugs
  • subcutaneous mycosis
  • neglected mycosis

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 10628 KiB  
Article
A Randomized Clinical Trial Comparing Itraconazole and a Combination Therapy with Itraconazole and Potassium Iodide for the Treatment of Feline Sporotrichosis
by Erica Guerino dos Reis, Sandro Antonio Pereira, Luisa Helena Monteiro de Miranda, Raquel de Vasconcellos Carvalhaes de Oliveira, Marcel de Souza Borges Quintana, Paula Gonçalves Viana, Anna Barreto Fernandes Figueiredo, Cindy Caroline dos Santos Honorato, Gabriela Reis Pereira-Oliveira, Jéssica Nunes Silva, Tânia Maria Pacheco Schubach and Isabella Dib Ferreira Gremião
J. Fungi 2024, 10(2), 101; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof10020101 - 26 Jan 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2445
Abstract
Feline sporotrichosis is an endemic disease with high occurrence in Brazil. Itraconazole (ITZ) remains the drug of choice for treating this disease in cats, despite the increasing reports of therapeutic failure. A controlled, randomized clinical trial was performed on 166 naive cats with [...] Read more.
Feline sporotrichosis is an endemic disease with high occurrence in Brazil. Itraconazole (ITZ) remains the drug of choice for treating this disease in cats, despite the increasing reports of therapeutic failure. A controlled, randomized clinical trial was performed on 166 naive cats with sporotrichosis to assess the effectiveness and safety of the combination therapy with ITZ and potassium iodide (KI) compared with ITZ monotherapy. Cats were randomly allocated into two treatment groups: G1—ITZ 100 mg/cat/day—and G2—ITZ 100 mg/cat/day + KI 2.5–20 mg/kg/day. Cats treated in G2 presented 77% more risk of reaching a clinical cure (a positive effect) than those treated in G1, even when controlled by negative predictors. The survival curves of the two treatment protocols indicate that a clinical cure was achieved faster in G2. An increase in the KI dose was necessary in 28 cats due to the persistence of clinical signs. Adverse reactions were equally frequent in both groups and manageable with a temporary drug suspension and/or a hepatoprotective therapy. The combination therapy was associated with a higher cure rate and a shorter treatment time, suggesting that ITZ+KI arises as a better option for treating feline sporotrichosis and should be considered the first-line treatment, especially in the presence of negative predictors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sporothrix and Sporotrichosis 3.0)
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18 pages, 3965 KiB  
Article
Differential Recognition of Clinically Relevant Sporothrix Species by Human Granulocytes
by Ana K. Galván-Hernández, Manuela Gómez-Gaviria, Iván Martínez-Duncker, José A. Martínez-Álvarez and Héctor M. Mora-Montes
J. Fungi 2023, 9(10), 986; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof9100986 - 4 Oct 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2316
Abstract
Sporotrichosis is a cutaneous mycosis that affects humans and animals and has a worldwide distribution. This infection is mainly caused by Sporothrix schenckii, Sporothrix brasiliensis, and Sporothrix globosa. Current research about anti-Sporothrix immunity has been mainly focused on S. [...] Read more.
Sporotrichosis is a cutaneous mycosis that affects humans and animals and has a worldwide distribution. This infection is mainly caused by Sporothrix schenckii, Sporothrix brasiliensis, and Sporothrix globosa. Current research about anti-Sporothrix immunity has been mainly focused on S. schenckii and S. brasiliensis, using different types of human or animal immune cells. Granulocytes are a group of cells relevant for cytokine production, with the capacity for phagocytosis and the generation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). Considering their importance, this study aimed to compare the capacity of human granulocytes to stimulate cytokines, uptake, and form NETs when interacting with different Sporothrix species. We found that conidia, germlings, and yeast-like cells from S. schenckii, S. brasiliensis, and S. globosa play an important role in the interaction with these immune cells, establishing morphology- and species-specific cytokine profiles. S. brasil-iensis tended to stimulate an anti-inflammatory cytokine profile, whilst the other two species had a proinflammatory one. S. globosa cells were the most phagocytosed cells, which occurred through a dectin-1-dependent mechanism, while the uptake of S. brasiliensis mainly occurred via TLR4 and CR3. Cell wall N-linked and O-linked glycans, along with β-1,3-glucan, played a significant role in the interaction of these Sporothrix species with human granulocytes. Finally, this study indicates that conidia and yeast-like cells are capable of inducing NETs, with the latter being a better stimulant. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that reports the cytokine profiles produced by human granulocytes interacting with Sporothrix cells. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sporothrix and Sporotrichosis 3.0)
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Review

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16 pages, 1720 KiB  
Review
Fungal Glycosidases in Sporothrix Species and Candida albicans
by Jorge A. Ortiz-Ramírez, Mayra Cuéllar-Cruz, Julio C. Villagómez-Castro and Everardo López-Romero
J. Fungi 2023, 9(9), 919; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof9090919 - 12 Sep 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1765
Abstract
Glycoside hydrolases (GHs) are enzymes that participate in many biological processes of fungi and other organisms by hydrolyzing glycosidic linkages in glycosides. They play fundamental roles in the degradation of carbohydrates and the assembly of glycoproteins and are important subjects of studies in [...] Read more.
Glycoside hydrolases (GHs) are enzymes that participate in many biological processes of fungi and other organisms by hydrolyzing glycosidic linkages in glycosides. They play fundamental roles in the degradation of carbohydrates and the assembly of glycoproteins and are important subjects of studies in molecular biology and biochemistry. Based on amino acid sequence similarities and 3-dimensional structures in the carbohydrate-active enzyme (CAZy), they have been classified in 171 families. Members of some of these families also exhibit the activity of trans-glycosydase or glycosyl transferase (GT), i.e., they create a new glycosidic bond in a substrate instead of breaking it. Fungal glycosidases are important for virulence by aiding tissue adhesion and colonization, nutrition, immune evasion, biofilm formation, toxin release, and antibiotic resistance. Here, we review fungal glycosidases with a particular emphasis on Sporothrix species and C. albicans, two well-recognized human pathogens. Covered issues include a brief account of Sporothrix, sporotrichosis, the different types of glycosidases, their substrates, and mechanism of action, recent advances in their identification and characterization, their potential biotechnological applications, and the limitations and challenges of their study given the rather poor available information. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sporothrix and Sporotrichosis 3.0)
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14 pages, 854 KiB  
Review
Relationship of Sporotrichosis and Infected Patients with HIV-AIDS: An Actual Systematic Review
by Rodolfo Pinto-Almazán, Karla A. Sandoval-Navarro, Erika J. Damián-Magaña, Roberto Arenas, Claudia Erika Fuentes-Venado, Paola Berenice Zárate-Segura, Erick Martínez-Herrera and Carmen Rodríguez-Cerdeira
J. Fungi 2023, 9(4), 396; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof9040396 - 23 Mar 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2172
Abstract
Background: Sporotrichosis is a fungal infection that can affect both humans and animals, caused by a species of thermo-dimorphic fungi of the genus Sporothrix. This pathology can be acquired by subcutaneous traumatic inoculation through contact with contaminated plants, soil or decomposing organic [...] Read more.
Background: Sporotrichosis is a fungal infection that can affect both humans and animals, caused by a species of thermo-dimorphic fungi of the genus Sporothrix. This pathology can be acquired by subcutaneous traumatic inoculation through contact with contaminated plants, soil or decomposing organic matter, and/or by inhalation of conidia. The infection can progress to chronic skin infection, or it can even spread to blood vessels, lymph, muscles, bones, and other organs, such as the lungs and nervous system. Those disseminated types are usually associated with cellular immunodeficiency and infection by inhalation, which explains why people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLHIV) get infected in such a manner. This virus changes the natural history of sporotrichosis, producing a greater fungal load. Methods: The search was carried out in three databases: Pubmed, Scopus, and Scielo. Eligible articles were considered as those that described sporotrichosis in patients infected with HIV-AIDS, as well as case series. Results: A total of 24 articles were selected, with a sum of 37 patients with sporotrichosis and HIV infection. Of these patients, 31 came from Brazil, two from the United States, one from South Africa, one from Bangladesh, and two from an unspecified region. Regarding epidemiology, a predominance of the male sex was found in 28 of the 37 cases (75.6%), while nine were female (24.3%). Conclusions: Sporotrichosis infection continues to present in a more severe and disseminated way among HIV-positive subjects with lower CD4+ counts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sporothrix and Sporotrichosis 3.0)
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Other

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7 pages, 3291 KiB  
Case Report
Osteoarticular Sporotrichosis of the Knee Caused by Sporothrix brasiliensis: Two Similar Cases with Different Outcomes
by Bruno Ivanovinsky Costa de Sousa, Livia Cristina Fonseca Ferreira, Marcella Morgado Ramiro de Lima, Juliana dos Santos Barbosa Netto, Guis Saint-Martin Astacio, Andréa Reis Bernardes-Engemann, Priscila Marques de Macedo, Maria Clara Gutierrez-Galhardo and Dayvison Francis Saraiva Freitas
J. Fungi 2023, 9(10), 956; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof9100956 - 23 Sep 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1504
Abstract
Sporotrichosis is the most frequent subcutaneous or implantation mycosis in Latin America, and its transmission occurs as a result of traumatic inoculation into the skin by organic matter containing the thermodimorphic fungi of the genus Sporothrix. Although cutaneous forms are more common, [...] Read more.
Sporotrichosis is the most frequent subcutaneous or implantation mycosis in Latin America, and its transmission occurs as a result of traumatic inoculation into the skin by organic matter containing the thermodimorphic fungi of the genus Sporothrix. Although cutaneous forms are more common, another important site is the osteoarticular system, whose hematogenous involvement is commonly associated with disseminated forms, especially in people who have an immunosuppressive condition, such as HIV/AIDS, chronic steroid use, and alcohol abuse. We present two cases of osteoarticular sporotrichosis of the knee caused by Sporothrix brasiliensis and followed up at our institution, with different outcomes. In the cases presented here, aging, anatomical sites, comorbidities, subtherapeutic serum levels, low adherence to treatment, and late diagnosis for different reasons may explain the observed outcomes. Early diagnosis of Sporothrix infection is critical in preventing complications, including death. We also highlight the importance of multidisciplinary follow-up and adherence to treatment for a favorable outcome. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sporothrix and Sporotrichosis 3.0)
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