Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 May 16;225(10):1807-1810.
doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiab209.

Pneumocystis jirovecii Colonization in Preterm Newborns With Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Magdalena Szydłowicz  1 , Barbara Królak-Olejnik  2 , Sergio L Vargas  3 , Żaneta Zajączkowska  1 , Dorota Paluszyńska  2 , Anna Szczygieł  2 , Olga Matos  4 , Andrzej B Hendrich  1 , Marta Kicia  1
Affiliations

Pneumocystis jirovecii Colonization in Preterm Newborns With Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Magdalena Szydłowicz et al. J Infect Dis. .

Abstract

We describe the prevalence of Pneumocystis jirovecii in mother-infant pairs of very low birth weight newborns <32 weeks gestation. Molecular and microscopic methods were used for detection of P. jirovecii in patients' specimens. Pneumocystis DNA was detected in 8 nasopharyngeal aspirates (14%) of 56 newborns and in 7 oral washes (21%) of 34 mothers. Pneumocystis detection immediately after birth suggests the possibility of its transplacental transmission. Compared to noncolonized infants, more frequent occurrence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia was seen in colonized infants (P = .02), suggesting a potential clinical importance of this pathogen in abnormal lung development.

Keywords: Pneumocystis jirovecii; bronchopulmonary dysplasia; preterm infants; respiratory distress syndrome; vertical transmission.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Montes-Cano MA, Chabe M, Fontillon-Alberdi M, et al. . Vertical transmission of Pneumocystis jirovecii in humans. Emerg Infect Dis 2009; 15:125–7. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Rojas P, Friaza V, García E, et al. . Early acquisition of Pneumocystis jirovecii colonization and potential association with respiratory distress syndrome in preterm newborn infants. Clin Infect Dis 2017; 65:976–81. - PubMed
    1. Vargas SL, Ponce CA, Sanchez CA, Ulloa AV, Bustamante R, Juarez G. Pregnancy and asymptomatic carriage of Pneumocystis jiroveci. Emerg Infect Dis 2003; 9:605–6. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Juliano JJ, Barnett E, Parobek CM, et al. . Use of oropharyngeal washes to diagnose and genotype Pneumocystis jirovecii. Open Forum Infect Dis 2015; 2:ofv080. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Sweet DG, Carnielli V, Greisen G, et al. . European consensus guidelines on the management of respiratory distress syndrome—2019 update. Neonatology 2019; 115:432–50. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types