Antibody immunity and invasive fungal infections

Antibody immunity and invasive fungal infections.

Glucocorticoids and invasive fungal infections.

Since the 1990s, opportunistic fungal infections have emerged as a substantial cause of morbidity and mortality in profoundly immunocompromised patients. Hypercortisolaemic patients, both those with endogenous Cushing's syndrome and, much more frequently, those receiving exogenous glucocorticoid therapy, are especially at risk of such infections. This vulnerability is attributed to the complex ...

Vaccines for invasive fungal infections

Morbidity and mortality from invasive fungal infections remain unacceptably high despite availability of new antifungal agents, underscoring the need for more effective preventative strategies. Due to our enhanced understanding of the host defense and pathogenetic mechanisms that lead to invasive fungal infections, it should be feasible to develop vaccines targeting these infections. A common i...

Invasive fungal infections in children.

The past two decades have seen a considerable increase in both frequency and importance of opportunistic invasive fungal infections in pediatric hospitals. At the same time, major advances have been made in the diagnosis of fungal diseases, the development of algorithms of antifungal interventions, and the design and implementation of pediatric clinical trials. Most importantly, several new ant...

Chitin, Chitinase Responses, and Invasive Fungal Infections

The human immune system is capable of recognizing and degrading chitin, an important cell wall component of pathogenic fungi. In the context of host-immune responses to fungal infections, herein we review the particular contributions and interplay of fungus and chitin recognition, and chitin-degrading enzymes, known as chitinases. The mechanisms of host chitinase responses may have implications...