Pulmonary mycetoma due to Coccidioides immitis has been reported on three occasions. The present case is the fourth such report occurring in a patient with widely disseminated disease. Spherules and hyphae were found in the specimen. While the active pulmonary and extra-pulmonary lesions responded well to therapy with amphotericin B, resection was required to eliminate the residual mycetoma and...

A chitinase isolated from Coccidioides immitis was subjected to amino-terminal protein sequence analysis. The resulting 18-amino-acid sequence was compared with the previously reported amino acid sequence of coccidioidal immunodiffusion-complement fixation (IDCF) antigen. From the homology of the two sequences, the results support the identification of the IDCF antigen with a chitinase.

BACKGROUND Coccidioidomycosis or Valley Fever is caused by Coccidioides in Southwest US and Central America. Primary pulmonary infection is initiated by inhalation of air-borne arthroconidia. Since, lung is the first organ that encounters arthroconidia, different components of the pulmonary innate immune system may be involved in the regulation of host defense. Pulmonary surfactant proteins (SP...