A 9-Year Experience of Aspergillus Infections from Isfahan, Iran

Aspergillosis is an important fungal disease affecting millions of individuals worldwide. The genus of consist of various complexes, causing a wide spectrum of diseases from superficial infections in immunocompetent hosts to life-threatening disseminated infections among immunocompromised patients. This study aimed to identify species by phenotypic (total isolates) and molecular tests (35 isolates), obtained from patients in Isfahan (the third-largest city of Iran) between 2010 and 2018, and determine the susceptibility of 35 clinical isolates to itraconazole (ITR), amphotericin-B (AMB), and voriconazole (VOR). Based on clinical signs, a total of 2385 suspected cases were included in this retrospective study from January 2010 to December 2018. Direct microscopic examination with potassium hydroxide, sabouraud dextrose agar with chloramphenicol, and czapekdox agar media was applied to identify etiologic agents. Thirty-five species collected from January 2016 to December 2018 were identified by PCR-sequencing of ITS1-5.8SrDNA-ITS2 region, and their susceptibility to ITR, AMB, and VOR was determined using E-test. Based on direct microscopy and positive culture, 132 out of 2385 suspected cases had infection (5.5%). Fifty-four patients were male, and 78 patients were female. Patients in the age groups of 41-50 and 21-30 years had the highest and lowest frequencies, respectively. (n=54), (n=24), (n=15), and (n=12) were the most prevalent species, respectively. Among 35 species, the MIC ranges of AMB, ITR, and VOR for , and were (0.5-4 μg/mL; 0.5-16 μg/mL; 0.25-8 μg/mL), (1 μg/mL, 1 μg/mL, 1 μg/mL), and (4-4 μg/mL, 0.5-1 μg/mL, 0.5-1 μg/mL), respectively. infections have a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations and often occur in immunocompromised patients. Accurate identification at the species level is essential since the emergence of cryptic species is connected to different patterns of AFST that affect patient treatment outcomes. Azole-resistant spp. is a global concern, and the detection of the route of resistance is pivotal to prevent and control infection.