title: High prevalence of Pneumocystis jirovecii colonization among HIV-positive patients in southern Brazil.
abstract: A high prevalence of Pneumocystis jirovecii colonization was observed in patients positive for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) admitted to a tertiary hospital in southern Brazil between August 2012 and December 2012. Amplification of the mitochondrial large subunit ribosomal RNA gene in oropharyngeal samples through nested polymerase chain reaction identified P. jirovecii colonization in 26 of 58 (44.8%) HIV-positive patients admitted for causes other than Pneumocystis pneumonia. Colonization was more frequent among patients with an absolute CD4 count ≤200 cells/μl. These findings suggest that the HIV-infected population is a major reservoir and source of P. jirovecii infection and that identification of such individuals may contribute to future strategies for improving management of HIV-infected patients.
authors.affiliation: Pneumocystis Study Group, Infectious Diseases Unit, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
authors.forename: Robson M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: Pneumocystis Study Group, Infectious Diseases Unit, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
authors.forename: André L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.affiliation: Pneumocystis Study Group, Infectious Diseases Unit, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ricardo A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Zimerman
authors.affiliation: Pneumocystis Study Group, Infectious Diseases Unit, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
authors.forename: Denise B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Antunes
authors.affiliation: Pneumocystis Study Group, Infectious Diseases Unit, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vitor F
authors.initials: VF
authors.lastname: Zinn
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública and Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas/Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain.
authors.forename: Vicente
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Friaza
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública and Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas/Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: de la Horra
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública and Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas/Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain.
authors.forename: Enrique J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Calderón
authors.affiliation: Pneumocystis Study Group, Infectious Diseases Unit, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gustavo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wissmann
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009960:Oropharynx / Q000382:microbiology; D045363:Pneumocystis carinii / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011020:Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D015995:Prevalence
keywords: HIV; Pneumocystis jirovecii; colonization