Pneumocystis pneumonia: an update.
Pneumocystis pneumonia is a major cause of illness and death in immunocompromised hosts. The numbers of pneumocystis pneumonia cases in Thailand have increased each year from 1992 to 2000 and peaked in 2000 at 6,255 cases. The microbe that causes pneumocystis pneumonia in humans is called Pneumocystis jirovecii. Pneumocystis sp. was discovered nearly a century ago, but the knowledge of Pneumocystis sp. remained poorly understood, until the molecular biology techniques help scientists verify it fungus nature. In the past, Pneumocystis sp. was misclassified as protozoan due to its morphologic features. Later, it was reclassified as fungus due to DNA analysis. Cotrimaxazole, the combination of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, is the drug of choice for treatment and prophylaxis of pneumocystis pneumonia. However, increasing evidence of mutations in the enzyme dihydropteroate synthase (DHPS), the target of sulfa drugs represent emergence of sulfa resistance.
Sritangratanakul
Sureeporn
S
Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
Nuchprayoon
Surang
S
Nuchprayoon
Issarang
I
D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008018:Life Cycle Stages; D011010:Pneumocystis / Q000502:physiology; D045363:Pneumocystis carinii / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D011020:Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D013785:Thailand / Q000453:epidemiology; D015662:Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D015662:Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination