title: Invasive aspergillosis in glucocorticoid-treated patients.
abstract: Glucocorticoids have potent, pleiotropic effects on the immune system that can predispose patients to developing life-threatening invasive aspergillosis (IA). While the exact prevalence and attributable mortality of IA in glucocorticoid-treated patients is difficult to estimate, Aspergillus species are significant pathogens in patients that require prolonged high-dose glucocorticoid therapy including multiple myeloma, collagen vascular diseases, or recipients of solid organ/hematopoietic transplantation. Experimental animal models and autopsy series have revealed important differences in the pathology of aspergillosis between glucocorticoid-treated and neutropenic patients. Although neutropenic hosts develop infection characterized by extensive angioinvasion, hemorrhagic thrombosis and necrosis with a high fungal burden, glucocorticoid-immunosuppressed hosts present with infection dominated by extensive necrosis, less angioinvasion, and a lower fungal burden suggestive of an inflammation-driven pathology. These pathobiological differences may have important implications for the diagnosis and treatment approaches of IA in glucocorticoid-treated patients.
authors.affiliation: The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030-4009, USA.
authors.forename: Russell E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: Dimitrios P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Kontoyiannis
mesh_terms: D001228:Aspergillosis / Q000473:pathology*; D001230:Aspergillus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents