title: Apparent absence of Pneumocystis jirovecii in healthy subjects.
abstract: We prospectively investigated 30 healthy subjects with normal CD4+ T cell counts in blood and normal findings of spirometry and chest radiography for the presence of Pneumocystis jirovecii, by performing polymerase chain reaction on sputum specimens. Fifty patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were investigated at the same time in the same manner; this group was used as controls for the diagnosis of pulmonary colonization with P. jirovecii. None of the healthy subjects had positive test results, whereas the fungus was detected in 8 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The results suggest that in our region (Amiens, France), P. jirovecii is apparently uncommon in healthy subjects and that this population, therefore, plays a minor role in circulation of the fungus within human communities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, Amiens University Hospital Centre, Amiens, France. nevez.gilles@chu-amiens.fr
authors.forename: Gilles
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nevez
authors.forename: Eline
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Magois
authors.forename: Hyacinthe
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Duwat
authors.forename: Valérie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gouilleux
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Jounieaux
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Totet
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D045363:Pneumocystis carinii / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011020:Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000382:microbiology