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 Feb;50(1):169-178.
doi: 10.1007/s15010-021-01679-6. Epub 2021 Aug 5.

Analysis of clinical characteristics and prognosis of talaromycosis (with or without human immunodeficiency virus) from a non-endemic area: a retrospective study

Qian Shen #  1 , Lingyan Sheng #  1 , Junli Zhang  2 , Jian Ye  3 , Jianying Zhou  4
Affiliations

Analysis of clinical characteristics and prognosis of talaromycosis (with or without human immunodeficiency virus) from a non-endemic area: a retrospective study

Qian Shen et al. Infection. 2022 Feb.

Abstract

Purpose: Talaromyces marneffei (TM) is a pathogenic fungus endemic in Southeast Asia and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive populations, but studies related to non-endemic areas and HIV-negative populations are still limited. Therefore, this study aims to provide more additional evidence for clinical work of talaromycosis.

Methods: To collect clinical information of patients with talaromycosis admitted to hospitals in Zhejiang Province, China from January 1, 2010 to May 31, 2020, retrospectively analyzed clinical characteristics and prognosis, COX multivariate regression analysis was used for survival analysis.

Results: A total of 92 patients were enrolled, including 76 males, 73 HIV-positive patients, with an average age of 40.1 ± 13.0. Compared to HIV-positive group, the negative group had higher admission age (47.7 ± 14.6 vs 38.1 ± 11.9, p = 0.003) and lower proportion of male (89.0% vs 57.9%, p = 0.004), there was no significant difference in imaging of lungs. There were significantly more HIV-positive patients in those with pleural effusion (100% vs 69.4%, p = 0.001). COX multivariate regression analysis suggested pleural effusion (HR = 3.220; 95% CI 1.117-9.287; p = 0.030) and HIV infection (HR = 0.057; 95% CI 0.009-0.370; p = 0.003) which were independent predictors of prognosis in patients with talaromycosis.

Conclusions: In non-endemic areas, clinical symptoms, signs, and laboratory tests of patients with talaromycosis are similar to those in endemic areas. Patients with pleural effusion have lower survival rate, HIV-infected people are less likely to relapse, and there is no significant correlation between extent of lung involvement and survival of infected patients.

Keywords: Clinical characteristics; Human Immunodeficiency Virus; Non-endemic Area; Prognostic analysis; Talaromyces marneffei; Talaromycosis.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Not applicable.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Chest CT images among patients infected with TM (from left to right: high-density plaque/strip; pleural effusion + pericardial effusion)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Hu Y, Zhang J, Li X, Yang Y, Zhang Y, Ma J, et al. Penicillium marneffei infection: an emerging disease in mainland China. Mycopathologia. 2013;175:57–67. doi: 10.1007/s11046-012-9577-0. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Duong TA. Infection due to Penicillium marneffei, an emerging pathogen: review of 155 reported cases. Clin Infect Dis. 1996;23:125–130. doi: 10.1093/clinids/23.1.125. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Capponi M, Segretain G, Sureau P. Penicillosis from Rhizomys sinensis. Bull de la Soc de Pathol Exotique et de ses Filiales. 1956;49:418–421. - PubMed
    1. DiSalvo AF, Fickling AM, Ajello L. Infection caused by Penicillium marneffei: description of first natural infection in man. Am J Clin Pathol. 1973;60:259–263. doi: 10.1093/ajcp/60.2.259. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Li HR, Cai SX, Chen YS, Yu ME, Xu NL, Xie BS, et al. Comparison of Talaromyces marneffei infection in human immunodeficiency virus-positive and human immunodeficiency virus-negative patients from Fujian, China. Chin Med J Peking. 2016;129:1059–1065. doi: 10.4103/0366-6999.180520. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

Supplementary concepts