Decrease in the number of reported cases of zygomycosis among patients with diabetes mellitus: a hypothesis.
The number of reported cases of zygomycosis in patients with diabetes mellitus in developed countries has decreased since the 1990s, despite the rapid increase in the prevalence of diabetic patients in the Western world. Although prospective population-based studies need to better document this phenomenon, which may have a complex explanation, here I propose the hypothesis that widespread use of statins in patients with diabetes underlies such a trend. Statins have been shown to direct inhibitory activity against a range of Zygomycetes molds, both in vitro and in vivo.
Kontoyiannis
Dimitrios P
DP
Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee Health, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA. dkontoyi@mdanderson.org
D048909:Diabetes Complications; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020096:Zygomycosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology
D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors