Adjunctive interferon- γ immunotherapy in a pediatric case of Aspergillus terreus infection

We describe a pediatric patient withA. terreus IA who received adjunctive recombinant interferon- γ (rIFNγ) immunotherapy. In vitro studies were conducted to investigate the capacity of rIFNγ to improve antifungal host defense in terms of fungal killing ability and the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines in cells of the patient as well as healthy controls. An 8-year-old female pediatric pat ient with leukemia developedA. terreus IA. She clinically deteriorated and had high serum galactomannan levels despite broad antifungal therapy. Therefore, adjunctive immune stimulatory therapy with rIFN γ was initiated. After 3 weeks of treatment, galactomannan levels decreased and the patient clinically showed improvement. Addition of rIFNγ boosted the capacity of monocytes of healthy volunteers to mount TNFα and IL-1β cytokine responses toEscherichia coli LPS, and increased TNF α response to bothA. terreus andAspergillus fumigatus. Monocytes isolated from the patient ’s blood demonstrated a similar augmented cytokine induction in response to rIFNγ. In addition, rIFNγ increased the capacity of monocytes from healthy volunteers as well as monocytes from the patient to killA. terreus spores. Adjuvant immunotherapy with rIFN γ might be a promising additional treatment strategy that could be used to improve outcome in patients with refractory invasiveA. terreus infections or other resistant invasiveAspergillus infections.

Source: European Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases - October 1, 2018 Category: Microbiology Source Type: research