Colonization by Pneumocystis jirovecii in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: association with exacerbations and lung function status

Publication date: Available online 20 September 2019Source: The Brazilian Journal of Infectious DiseasesAuthor(s): Alejandra Cañas-Arboleda, Catalina Hernández-Flórez, Javier Garzón, Claudia Marcela Parra-Giraldo, Juan Felipe Burbano, José Enrique Cita-PardoAbstractExposure to Pneumocystis jirovecii (P. jirovecii) can lead to a wide variety of presenting features ranging from colonization in immunocompetent patients with lung disease, to invasive infections in immunocompromised hosts. Colonization by this fungus in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) could be associated with higher rates of exacerbations and impaired lung function in these patients.Our objective was to determine whether colonization by P. jirovecii in patients with COPD is associated with increased exacerbations and deterioration of lung function.This was a prospective cohort study on patients with COPD. All participants meeting selection criteria underwent clinical and microbiological assessments and were then classified as colonized vs. non-colonized patients. Chi-squared tests were performed and multivariate logistic models were fitted in order to obtain risk ratios (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI).We documented a frequency of colonization by P. jirovecii of 32.3%. Most patients were categorized as having GOLD B and D COPD. The history of significant exacerbations in the last year, health status impairment (COPD Assesment Tool ≥10), airflow limitation (percent of post-b...
Source: The Brazilian Journal of Infectious Diseases - Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research