High Prevalence of Pneumocystis jiroveci Colonization Among Young HIV-Infected Patients

Abstract Background Pneumocystis colonization in young HIV-infected patients has been poorly studied. The aim of this study was to analyze the prevalence of P jiroveci colonization in a cohort of young HIV-infected patients. Material and Methods We designed a basal cross-sectional study in 20 young HIV-infected patients to determine the prevalence of P jiroveci colonization in oropharyngeal wash samples studied by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Subsequently, patients were followed up during 50 weeks to observe the development of Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP). Results P jiroveci colonization was detected in eight (40%) of the 20 oropharyngeal wash samples. Genotype 85C/248C was the most frequent. After 50 weeks of follow-up, one colonized patient with advanced immunodepression developed PCP. Conclusions We have found a high prevalence of P jiroveci colonization in young HIV-infected patients with a major prevalence of genotype 1 (85C/248C). Further studies are necessary to clarify if Pneumocystis colonization could be a potential risk factor of developing PCP in young HIV infected patients.