title: Methylprednisolone impairs conidial phagocytosis but does not attenuate hyphal damage by neutrophils against Exserohilum rostratum.
abstract: Exserohilum rostratum caused a multistate fungal meningitis outbreak following iatrogenic inoculation of contaminated methylprednisolone in the United States. To gain insight into the immunopathogenesis of this infection, we studied the innate host responses of human neutrophils against E. rostratum conidia and hyphae with or without methylprednisolone. The neutrophil-induced percentage fungal damage against conidia and hyphae was effector-to-target ratio dependent (≤55%). While methylprednisolone did not affect neutrophil-induced fungal damage by treatment of Exserohilum or neutrophils, it compromised phagocytosis of conidia (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that methylprednisolone-treated neutrophils may have altered phagocytic clearance of Exserohilum conidia, reducing host capacity to contain the invasive process.
authors: Infectious Diseases Laboratory, 3rd Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Aristotle University School of Health Sciences, Hippokration Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors: Maria
authors: M
authors: Simitsopoulou
authors: Transplantation-Oncology Infectious Diseases Program, Weill Cornell Medical Center of Cornell University Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medical Center of Cornell University Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Weill Cornell Medical Center of Cornell University, New York, New York, USA Exserohilum Meningitis Study Consortium, New York, New York, USA.
authors: Thomas J
authors: TJ
authors: Walsh
authors: Infectious Diseases Laboratory, 3rd Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Aristotle University School of Health Sciences, Hippokration Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors: Daniela
authors: D
authors: Kyrpitzi
authors: Transplantation-Oncology Infectious Diseases Program, Weill Cornell Medical Center of Cornell University.
authors: Vidmantas
authors: V
authors: Petraitis
authors: Exserohilum Meningitis Study Consortium, New York, New York, USA Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
authors: Dimitrios P
authors: DP
authors: Kontoyiannis
authors: Exserohilum Meningitis Study Consortium, New York, New York, USA Public Health Research Institute Center, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey, USA.
authors: David S
authors: DS
authors: Perlin
authors: Infectious Diseases Laboratory, 3rd Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Aristotle University School of Health Sciences, Hippokration Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece Exserohilum Meningitis Study Consortium, New York, New York, USA roilides@med.auth.gr.
authors: Emmanuel
authors: E
authors: Roilides
mesh_terms: D001203:Ascomycota / Q000276:immunology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006801:Humans; D025301:Hyphae / Q000276:immunology; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000378:metabolism*; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology*; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D008775:Methylprednisolone
keywords: Exserohilum rostratum; dematiaceous moulds; fungal meningitis; human polymorphonuclear leukocytes; innate immune response