       Document 0958
 DOCN  M9620958
 TI    Clinical and host differences between infections with the two varieties
       of Cryptococcus neoformans.
 DT    9602
 AU    Speed B; Dunt D; Fairfield Hospital for Infectious Diseases, Victoria,
       Australia.
 SO    Clin Infect Dis. 1995 Jul;21(1):28-34; discussion 35-6. Unique
       Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/96065608
 AB    A population-based register of cases of cryptococcosis in patients
       treated in Victoria, Australia, over a 10-year period was established
       for studying the epidemiologic and clinical features of infection with
       Cryptococcus neoformans and its two varieties, gattii and neoformans.
       One hundred thirty-three cases of cryptococcosis were entered on the
       register; the incidence was 3.0 cases per 1 million population per year,
       a rate that increased to 5.0 cases per 1 million population per year
       over the decade as a result of the AIDS epidemic. There was a distinct
       association between immune status and C. neoformans variety: all C.
       neoformans variety gattii infections occurred in healthy hosts and 90%
       of C. neoformans variety neoformans infections occurred in
       immunosuppressed hosts. Meningitis was the commonest manifestation, with
       focal CNS and pulmonary lesions occurring primarily in healthy hosts
       with C. neoformans variety gattii infection; isolation of C. neoformans
       from blood and urine was associated with immunosuppression and C.
       neoformans variety neoformans infection. The mortality among patients
       with C. neoformans variety neoformans infection was high, while none of
       those patients with C. neoformans variety gattii died but often had
       neurological sequelae that required surgery and prolonged therapy. These
       findings appear to be related to variety-specific interactions between
       host and parasite and warrant further epidemiologic and immunologic
       study.
 DE    Adolescence  Adult  Aged  Aged, 80 and over  Bacterial Typing Techniques
       Brain/MICROBIOLOGY  Cryptococcosis/*EPIDEMIOLOGY/IMMUNOLOGY/MICROBIOLOGY
       Cryptococcus neoformans/*CLASSIFICATION/ISOLATION & PURIF  Female  Human
       *Immunocompromised Host/IMMUNOLOGY  Incidence  Lung/MICROBIOLOGY  Lung
       Diseases, Fungal/MICROBIOLOGY  Male  Meningitis,
       Cryptococcal/MICROBIOLOGY  Middle Age  Phenotype  Registries
       Victoria/EPIDEMIOLOGY  JOURNAL ARTICLE

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).

