The author attempted to investigate the pathogenesis of opportunistic fungus infections. 50 necropsy cases from the Kitasato University Hospital and 14 cases of the sudden and unexpected deaths from the Tokyo Metropolitan Medical Examiner's Office were used for this study.
Investigations were focused on ecological changes of microflora in six regions of the digestive system, serum level of immunoglobulins. Clinical history, laboratory data, and quality and quantity of medical treatment were analized in each cases. Comparative virulence studies were also performed on several strains of
Candida albicans isolated from cases with or without fungus infections.
It was confirmed that qualitative and quantitative microfloral changes, decrease of humoral and cellular immunity due to treatments with antibioitcs, corticosteroids, and anticancer drugs, local affinity of opportunistic pathogen, and increased opportunity for the infection were important contributing factors for the establishment of opportunistic fungus infections. It was also confirmed that the virulence of strain of
Candida albicnas was not always related to the existence of the infected lesion, namely, the low virulent strains were often isolated from cases with
Candida infection, and occasionally high virulent strains were obtained from those without
Candida infection.
抄録全体を表示