Paracoccidioidomycosis

As a leading company in the field of the drug industry, Creative Biolabs has gained a wealth of good reputation for successfully completed numerous challenges in antifungal drug discovery. Based on our advanced technology platform and experienced scientists, we are able to provide a series of antifungal drug discovery service against paracoccidioidomycosis.

What is Paracoccidioidomycosis?

Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM), also known as Lutz-Splendore-de Almeida disease or Brazilian blastomycosis, is an acute-to-chronic systemic mycosis. PCM is characterized by a polymorphism of lesions and can affect any organ, in particular, the skin; the lymph nodes; the lungs; the oral, nasal, and gastrointestinal mucous membranes; the suprarenal glands; and the central nervous system.

PCM is an endemic disease that mainly occurs in South and Central America, most notably Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, and Venezuela. It is a rare fungal disease more often in men aged 20 to 50 years. The species Paracoccidioides brasiliensis has been recognized to cause PCM. The pathogenic fungi are thought to exist in the soil as a mold, and infection occurs following inhalation of spores. PCM transmission is usually by direct contact with a source of infection, not person-to-person spread. Factors including agricultural work, malnutrition, smoking, alcoholism, and immunodeficiency (e.g. HIV/AIDS patients) increase the risk of PCM infection.

Symptoms of Paracoccidioidomycosis

PCM can become chronic and progressive but are not usually fatal, and it is classified into three patterns according to clinical presentations:

• Mucocutaneous Infection: Mucocutaneous infections most often involve the face, especially at the nasal and oral mucocutaneous borders. Infections are characterized by regional lymph nodes enlarge, necrosis, and discharge necrotic material through the skin.
• Lymphatic Infection: Lymphatic infections usually result in cervical, supraclavicular, or axillary nodes enlarge but are painless.
• Visceral Infection: Typically presentations of visceral infection mainly are enlargement of the liver, spleen, and abdominal lymph nodes, sometimes abdominal pain.

Paracoccidioidomycosis usually affects the lungs and skin, severe infections may involve combinations of all these patterns. Other symptoms include weight loss, lesions in the mouth and throat, cough, fever, shortness of breath, fatigue.

Treatment of Paracoccidioidomycosis

The lack of experienced clinicians and the long latent period of the disease may significantly contribute to the difficulty of diagnosing PCM outside endemic regions. The diagnosis of PCM is usually made by examination of sputum or pus from infected individuals. Further microscopic examination, biopsy specimens from the lungs, skin, and/or lymph nodes, and laboratory culture can also be made for confirmation of PCM diagnosis.

Antifungal medications are the most effective therapeutics for PCM. Antifungal drugs include sulfonamides, amphotericin B deoxycholate, ketoconazole and the triazole derivatives. Among these, azoles are highly effective. Amphotericin B may be given to severely infected patients who cannot tolerate other medications. Sulfonamides, which are inexpensive and widely used in some countries, can suppress the symptoms and halt the progress but do not cure the PCM infection.

Types of Fungal Diseases Studied by Creative Biolabs

Aided by top technology and professional scientists, Creative Biolabs is committed to promoting the development of global customers’ programs. In addition to Paracoccidioidomycosis, we also provide potential antifungal drug discovery services against other fungal diseases, which including but not limited to:

If you are interested in the fungal disease we investigate, please click the links above. For more detailed information, just feel free to contact us.

Reference

1. Franco, M.; et al. Paracoccidioidomycosis. Baillière’s Clin Trop Med Commun Dis. 1989, 4(1): 185 - 220.

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