Is there a serious risk of resistance development to azoles among fungi due to the widespread use and long-term application of azole antifungals in medicine?
It is well known that development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria is not a matter of if but of when. Recently, azoles have been recommended for long-term prophylaxis of invasive fungal infections; hence, it could be argued that fungi also will become resistant to these agents. However, fungi are different from bacteria in several critical points. Bacteria display several resistance mechanisms: alteration of the target, limited access to the target and modification/inactivation of the antibacterial compound. In fungi some mechanisms of resistance to azoles are also known; with azoles for example, alterations of the 14alpha-demethylase target, as well as efflux pumps. It has been observed that these phenotypes develop in yeast populations either due to mutations or to selection processes. However, enzymes which destroy azoles are not found. Furthermore, a horizontal transfer of genes coding resistance traits does not occur in fungi, which means that an explosive expansion of resistances is unlikely to occur, especially in moulds. Indeed, in epidemiologic studies on human and environmental isolates there is convincing evidence that azole resistance is quite uncommon.
Hof
Herbert
H
Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Clinic Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, D-68167 Mannheim, Germany. herbert.hof@imh.ma.uni-heidelberg.de
D000818:Animals; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001393:Azoles / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D025141:Drug Resistance, Fungal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D005658:Fungi / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009181:Mycoses / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology
D000935:Antifungal Agents; D001393:Azoles