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Development of a quantitative PCR detecting Cunninghamella bertholletiae to help in diagnosing this rare and aggressive mucormycosis

Bone Marrow Transplantation volume 53, pages 1180–1183 (2018)Cite this article

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Abstract

Mucormycosis is an invasive mold infection, frequently fatal in immunocompromised patients. We report the case of a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia admitted to the hematology unit for febrile aplasia. Pulmonary lesions suggesting a fungal infection expanded/increased despite a combination of posaconazole and liposomal amphotericin B. The fungal biomarkers performed repeatedly were negative. At D65 after chemotherapy a bronchial biopsy was positive for Cunninghamella bertholletiae. The patient died despite appropriate antifungal management. A qPCR targeting Cunninghamella was developed a posteriori, and a retrospective analysis showed that a sample was positive more than 30 days before culture-based identification could be made.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by a grant from the French Ministry of Health (PHRC (Projet Hospitalier de Recherche Clinique) national-ModiMucor 2014-A00580-47). We thank the National Reference Center of Invasive Mycosis and Antifungal Molecular Mycology Unit (CNRMA), Pasteur Institute, Paris, France. We thank Pamela Albert for her editorial assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chrono-Environnement CNRS 6249 Research Team, Franche-Comté University, Besançon, France

    Anne-Pauline Bellanger, Steffi Rocchi, Benoit Valot, Emeline Scherer & Laurence Millon

  2. Parasitology-Mycology Department, University Hospital, Besançon, France

    Anne-Pauline Bellanger, Steffi Rocchi, Emeline Scherer & Laurence Millon

  3. Hematology Department, Besançon University Hospital, Besançon, France

    Ana Berceanu, Jean Fontan, Adrien Chauchet & Eric Deconinck

  4. Intensive Care Unit, Besançon University Hospital, Besançon, France

    Nicolas Belin & Jean-Christophe Navellou

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  1. Anne-Pauline Bellanger
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  2. Ana Berceanu
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  3. Steffi Rocchi
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  4. Benoit Valot
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  7. Nicolas Belin
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  11. Laurence Millon
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Correspondence to Anne-Pauline Bellanger.

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Bellanger, AP., Berceanu, A., Rocchi, S. et al. Development of a quantitative PCR detecting Cunninghamella bertholletiae to help in diagnosing this rare and aggressive mucormycosis. Bone Marrow Transplant 53, 1180–1183 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41409-018-0194-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41409-018-0194-5

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