Cryptococcus genetic diversity and mixed infections in Ivorian HIV patients: A follow up study

Fulgence Kondo Kassi (1) , Pascal Drakulovski (2) , Virginie Bellet (2) , Frédéric Roger (2) , Amélie Chabrol (2) , Donika Krasteva (2) , Adama Doumbia (1) , Roland Landman (3) , Aka Kakou (4) , Jacques Reynes (2) , Eric Delaporte (2, 5) , Hervé Eby Ignace Menan (6) , Sébastien Bertout (2)

1 UFHB - Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny
2 TransVIHMI - Recherches Translationnelles sur le VIH et les maladies infectieuses endémiques et émergentes
3 IMEA - Institut de médecine et d'épidémiologie appliquée [AP-HP Hôpital Bichat-Claude Bernard]
4 CHU de Treichville - Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Treichville [Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire]
5 IRD [France-Sud] - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement
6 CeDreS - Centre de recherche et de Diagnostic sur le Sida [Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire]

Genetic diversity analyses were performed by sero-genotyping and multi-locus sequence typing on 252 cryptococcal isolates from 13 HIV-positive Ivorian patients followed-up for cryptococcal meningitis. Antifungal susceptibility analyses were performed according to the CLSI M27A3 method. The majority (67.8%) of the isolates belonged to the Cryptococcus neoformans (serotype A) species complex, with 93% being VNI and 7% being VNII. Cryptococcus deuterogattii VGII (serotype B) represented 16.7% of the strains, while C. neoformans/C. deneoformans VNIII (serotype AD) hybrids accounted for 15.1% of the strains. One strain (0.4%) was not identifiable. Nine different sequence types (STs 5, 6, 23, 40, 93, 207, 311, and a new ST; 555) were identified in the C. neoformans population, while the C. deuterogattii population comprised the single ST 173. The distribution of the strains showed that, while the majority of patients (9/13) harboured a single sequence type, 4 patients showed mixed infections. These patients experienced up to 4 shifts in strain content either at the species and/or ST level during their follow-up. This evolution of diversity over time led to the co-existence of up to 3 different Cryptococcus species and 4 different ST within the same individual during the course of infection. Susceptibility testing showed that all strains were susceptible to amphotericin B while 3.6% of them had a none-wild type phenotype to 5-flucytosine. Concerning fluconazole, 2.9% of C.neoformans serotype A strains and 2.4% of C. deuterogattii had also respectively a none-wild type phenotype to this molecule. All C. neoformans x C. deneoformans serotype AD hybrids had however a wild type phenotype to fluconazole. The present study showed that mixed infections exist and could be of particular importance for care outcomes. Indeed, (i) the different Cryptococcus species are known to exhibit different virulence and different susceptibility patterns to antifungal drugs and (ii) the strains genetic diversity within the samples may influence the susceptibility to antifungal treatment.

Domaines: Maladies infectieuses; Mycologie; Santé publique et épidémiologie

Fulgence Kondo Kassi, Pascal Drakulovski, Virginie Bellet, Frédéric Roger, Amélie Chabrol, et al.. Cryptococcus genetic diversity and mixed infections in Ivorian HIV patients: A follow up study. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 2019, 13 (11), pp.e0007812. ⟨10.1371/journal.pntd.0007812⟩. ⟨hal-02515013⟩