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<p><italic>Pneumocystis jirovecii</italic> is an opportunistic fungus that can cause severe and potentially fatal <italic>Pneumocystis</italic> pneumonia (PCP) in immunodeficient patients. In this study, we investigated the genetic polymorphisms of <italic>P. jirovecii</italic> at eight different loci, including six nuclear genes (ITS, 26S rRNA, <italic>sod</italic>, <italic>dhps</italic>, <italic>dhfr</italic> and β-Tub) and two mitochondrial genes (mtLSU-rRNA and <italic>cyb</italic>) in three PCP cases, including two patients with HIV infection and one without HIV infection in Shanxi Province, P.R. China. The gene targets were amplified by PCR followed by sequencing of plasmid clones. The HIV-negative patient showed a coinfection with two genotypes of <italic>P. jirovecii</italic> at six of the eight loci sequenced. Of the two HIV-positive patients, one showed a coinfection with two genotypes of <italic>P. jirovecii</italic> at the same two of the six loci as in the HIV-negative patient, while the other showed a single infection at all eight loci sequenced. None of the three drug target genes (<italic>dhfr, dhps</italic> and <italic>cyb</italic>) showed mutations known to be potentially associated with drug resistance. This is the first report of genetic polymorphisms of <italic>P. jirovecii</italic> in PCP patients in Shanxi Province, China. Our findings expand our understanding of the genetic diversity of <italic>P. jirovecii</italic> in China.
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</abstract>

Pneumocystis jirovecii is an opportunistic fungus that can cause severe and potentially fatal Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) in immunodeficient patients. In this study, we investigated the genetic polymorphisms of P. jirovecii at eight different loci, including six nuclear genes (ITS, 26S rRNA, sod, dhps, dhfr and β-Tub) and two mitochondrial genes (mtLSU-rRNA and cyb) in three PCP cases, including two patients with HIV infection and one without HIV infection in Shanxi Province, P.R. China. The gene targets were amplified by PCR followed by sequencing of plasmid clones. The HIV-negative patient showed a coinfection with two genotypes of P. jirovecii at six of the eight loci sequenced. Of the two HIV-positive patients, one showed a coinfection with two genotypes of P. jirovecii at the same two of the six loci as in the HIV-negative patient, while the other showed a single infection at all eight loci sequenced. None of the three drug target genes (dhfr, dhps and cyb) showed mutations known to be potentially associated with drug resistance. This is the first report of genetic polymorphisms of P. jirovecii in PCP patients in Shanxi Province, China. Our findings expand our understanding of the genetic diversity of P. jirovecii in China.

Genetic Polymorphisms of <italic>Pneumocystis jirovecii</italic> in HIV-Positive and HIV-Negative Patients in Northern China

NHC Key Laboratory of Pneumoconiosis, Key Laboratory of Prophylaxis and Treatment and Basic Research of Respiratory Diseases of Shanxi Province

Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine

First Affiliated Hospital of Shanxi Medical University

Eleventh Affiliated Hospital of Shanxi Medical University

Polish Journal of Microbiology

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Genetic Polymorphisms of  in HIV-Positive and HIV-Negative Patients in Northern China

Pneumocystis jirovecii is an opportunistic fungus that can cause severe and potentially fatal Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) in immunodeficient patients. In this...

Genetic Polymorphisms of Pneumocystis jirovecii in HIV-Positive and HIV-Negative Patients in Northern China

Article Category: Original Paper

Published Online: Feb 23, 2022

Page range: 27 - 34

Received: Sep 18, 2021

Accepted: Dec 15, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33073/pjm-2022-002

Keywords
genetic polymorphisms, genotypes, multilocus, epidemiology

© 2022 Ting Xue et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Genetic Polymorphisms of Pneumocystis jirovecii in HIV-Positive and HIV-Negative Patients in Northern China

Article Category: Original Paper

Published Online: Feb 23, 2022

Page range: 27 - 34

Received: Sep 18, 2021

Accepted: Dec 15, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33073/pjm-2022-002

Keywordsgenetic polymorphisms, genotypes, multilocus, epidemiology

© 2022 Ting Xue et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
genetic polymorphisms, genotypes, multilocus, epidemiology