Background Azole resistance complicates treatment of patients with invasive aspergillosis with an increased mortality. Azole resistance in Aspergillus fumigatus is a growing problem and associated with human and environmental azole use. Denmark has a considerable and highly efficient agricultural sector. Following reports on environmental azole resistance in A. fumigatus from Danish patients, the ministry of health requested a prospective national surveillance of azole-resistant A. fumigatus and particularly that of environmental origin. Objectives To present the data from the first 2 years of the surveillance programme. Methods Unique isolates regarded as clinically relevant and any A. fumigatus isolated on a preferred weekday (background samples) were included. EUCAST susceptibility testing was performed and azole-resistant isolates underwent cyp51A gene sequencing. Results The azole resistance prevalence was 6.1% (66/1083) at patient level. The TR34/L98H prevalence was 3.6% (39/1083) and included the variants TR34/L98H, TR343/L98H and TR34/L98H/S297T/F495I. Resistance caused by other Cyp51A variants accounted for 1.3% (14/1083) and included G54R, P216S, F219L, G54W, M220I, M220K, M220R, G432S, G448S and Y121F alterations. Non-Cyp51A-mediated resistance accounted for 1.2% (13/1083). Proportionally, TR34/L98H, other Cyp51A variants and non-Cyp51A-mediated resistance accounted for 59.1% (39/66), 21.2% (14/66) and 19.7% (13/66), respectively, of all resistance. Azole resistance was detected in all five regions in Denmark, and TR34/L98H specifically, in four of five regions during the surveillance period. Conclusion The azole resistance prevalence does not lead to a change in the initial treatment of aspergillosis at this point, but causes concern and leads to therapeutic challenges in the affected patients.

The outcome of invasive fusariosis in hematological patients is usually dismal, particularly in patients with persistent neutropenia. We report a patient with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with Fusarium dimerum sinusitis with hematogenic dissemination to the brain. Despite surgical debridements of the sinuses and liposomal amphotericin B, voriconazole and terbinafine, there was progression with cerebral involvement after recovery of neutropenia and with detection of F. dimerum in the cerebrospinal fluid. Topical antifungal treatment with amphotericin B deoxycholate (deoxy-AMB) intrathecally was initiated with administration three times a week. After 99 treatments of intrathecal deoxy-AMB, she had regression of the fusarium CNS lesions and is currently in complete remission from AML. This report supports the use of intrathecal amphotericin B for treatment of CNS fusariosis.

Isavuconazole (ISZ) is used in the treatment of aspergillosis and mucormycosis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of ISZ samples from a clinical setting performed at Statens Serum Institut. Materials/methods: Isavuconazole serum concentrations were determined by fluorescent detection on a UHPLC. Serum-ISZ (s-ISZ) results were included and compared to those of serum-voriconazole (s-VRZ) in a 33 month period from March 2017. Clinical data were obtained for patients receiving ISZ. The therapeutic range was initially 2–10 mg/L, but was adjusted to 2–5 mg/L during the study period except for selected patients with Mucorales infections who received off-label doses of ISZ. Results: A total of 273 s-ISZ and 1242 s-VRZ measurements from 35 and 283 patients, respectively, were included. Seventeen patients had received both ISZ and VRZ with TDM within the study period. The median s-ISZ was 4.3 mg/L (0.5–15.4 mg/L) with 83% of measurements within the therapeutic index. The median s-VRZ was 2.6 mg/L (0.2–21.9 mg/L) with 67% of measurements within the therapeutic index. The median intra-/interindividual coefficient of variation (CV) was 43.4%/54.8% for ISZ compared to 53.2%/83.3% for VRZ. For patients receiving ISZ, the adverse events were mostly gastroenteric and few drug–drug interactions were observed. Furthermore, immediate change from ISZ to VRZ treatment seemed to lead to prolonged metabolism of ISZ with detection up to 35 days after discontinuation. Conclusions: The majority of patients achieved s-ISZ levels well within the therapeutic range with less intra/interindividual CV than patients receiving VRZ.

As part of a national surveillance programme initiated in 2004, fungal blood isolates from 2016–2018 underwent species identification and EUCAST susceptibility testing. The epidemiology was described and compared to data from previous years. In 2016–2018, 1454 unique isolates were included. The fungaemia rate was 8.13/100,000 inhabitants compared to 8.64, 9.03, and 8.38 in 2004–2007, 2008–2011, and 2012–2015, respectively. Half of the cases (52.8%) involved patients 60–79 years old and the incidence was highest in males ≥70 years old. Candida albicans accounted for 42.1% of all isolates and Candida glabrata for 32.1%. C. albicans was more frequent in males (p = 0.03) and C. glabrata in females (p = 0.03). During the four periods, the proportion of C. albicans decreased (p < 0.001), and C. glabrata increased (p < 0.001). Consequently, fluconazole susceptibility gradually decreased from 68.5% to 59.0% (p < 0.001). Acquired fluconazole resistance was found in 4.6% Candida isolates in 2016–2018. Acquired echinocandin resistance increased during the four periods 0.0%, 0.6%, 1.7% to 1.5% (p < 0.0001). Sixteen echinocandin-resistant isolates from 2016–2018 harboured well-known FKS resistance-mutations and one echinocandin-resistant C. albicans had an FKS mutation outside the hotspot (P1354P/S) of unknown importance. In C. glabrata specifically, echinocandin resistance was detected in 12/460 (2.6%) in 2016–2018 whereas multidrug-class resistance was rare (1/460 isolates (0.2%)). Since the increase in incidence during 2004–2011, the incidence has stabilised. In contrast, the species distribution has changed gradually over the 15 years, with increased C. glabrata at the expense of C. albicans. The consequent decreased fluconazole susceptibility and the emergence of acquired echinocandin resistance complicates the management of fungaemia and calls for antifungal drug development.

Azole-resistant (azole-R) Aspergillus is an increasing challenge worldwide. Patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) are at risk of Aspergillus colonization and disease due to a favorable lung environment for microorganisms. We performed a nationwide study in 2018 of azole-non-susceptible Aspergillus in CF patients and compared with data from two prior studies. All airway samples with mold isolates from patients monitored at the two CF centers in Denmark (RH, Jan–Sept and AUH, Jan–Jun) were included. Classical species identification (morphology and thermo-tolerance) was performed and MALDI-TOF/β-tubulin sequencing was performed if needed. Susceptibility was determined using EUCAST E.Def 10.1, and E.Def 9.3.2. cyp51A sequencing and STRAf genotyping were performed for azole-non-susceptible isolates and relevant sequential isolates. In total, 340 mold isolates from 159 CF patients were obtained. The most frequent species were Aspergillus fumigatus (266/340, 78.2%) and Aspergillus terreus (26/340, 7.6%). Azole-R A. fumigatus was cultured from 7.3% (10/137) of patients, including 9.5% (9/95) of patients at RH and 2.4% at AUH (1/42), respectively. In a 10-year perspective, azole-non-susceptibility increased numerically among patients at RH (10.5% in 2018 vs 4.5% in 2007–2009). Cyp51A resistance mechanisms were found in nine azole-R A. fumigatus from eight CF patients. Five were of environmental origin (TR34/L98H), three were human medicine-driven (two M220K and one M220R), and one was novel (TR343/L98H) and found in a patient who also harbored a TR34/L98H isolate. STRAf genotyping identified 27 unique genotypes among 45 isolates and ≥2 genotypes in 8 of 12 patients. This included one patient carrying two unique TR34/L98H isolates, a rare phenomenon. Genotyping of sequential TR343/L98H and TR34/L98H isolates from the same patient showed only minor differences in 1/9 markers. Finally, azole-R A. terreus was found in three patients including two with Cyp51A alterations (M217I and G51A, respectively). Azole-R A. fumigatus is increasing among CF patients in Denmark with the environmentally associated resistance TR34/L98H mechanism being dominant. Mixed infections (wildtype/non-wildtype and several non-wildtypes) and a case of potential additional tandem repeat acquisition in vivo were found. However, similar genotypes were identified from another patient (and outside this study), potentially suggesting a predominant TR34/L98H clone in DK. These findings suggest an increasing prevalence and complexity of azole resistance in A. fumigatus.

Mucormycosis is a life threatening infection in patients with haematological disease. We introduced a Mucorales-PCR and an aggressive, multidisciplinary management approach for mucormycosis during 2016–2017 and evaluated patient outcomes in 13 patients diagnosed and treated in 2012–2019. Management principle: repeated surgical debridement until biopsies from the resection margins were clean as defined by negative Blankophor microscopy, Mucorales-PCR (both reported within 24 h), and cultures. Cultured isolates underwent EUCAST E.Def 9.3.1 susceptibility testing. Antifungal therapy (AFT) (mono/combination) combined with topical AFT (when possible) was given according to the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC), severity of the infection, and for azoles, specifically, it was guided by therapeutic drug monitoring. The outcome was evaluated by case record review. All patients underwent surgery guided by diagnostic biopsies from tissue and resection margins (195 samples in total). Comparing 2012–2015 and 2016–2019, the median number of patients of surgical debridements was 3 and 2.5 and of diagnostic samples: microscopy/culture/PCR was 3/3/6 and 10.5/10/10.5, respectively. The sensitivity of microscopy (76%) and Mucorales-PCR (70%) were similar and microscopy was superior to that of culture (53%; p = 0.039). Initial systemic AFT was liposomal amphotericin B (n = 12) or posaconazole (n = 1) given as monotherapy (n = 4) or in combination with isavuconazole/posaconazole (n = 3/6) and terbinafine (n = 3). Nine patients received topical amphotericin B. All received isavuconazole or posaconazole consolidation therapy (n = 13). Mucormycosis related six month mortality was 3/5 in 2012–2015 and 0/7 patients in 2016–2019 (one patient was lost for follow-up). Implementation of combination therapy (systemic+topical AFT/combination systemic AFT) and aggressive surgical debridement guided by optimised diagnostic tests may improve the outcome of mucormycosis in haematologic patients.

The use of immunosuppressive agents can be vital. However, immunosuppression may also cause reactivation of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection which can be fatal. To reduce the risk of reactivation prophylactic antiviral treatment is recommended in patients with chronic HBV infection. In patients with former HBV infection prophylaxis is also recommended if anti-CD20 agents are used and in cases of transplantation. Immunosuppression in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection does not seem to lead to severe hepatic manifestations, and reactivation of HCV in this context generally has a mild clinical course.

Background: In myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), anemia often leads to red blood cell transfusion dependency and iron overload (IOL). Serum ferritin (SF) is used as a surrogate marker for IOL. IOL can lead to liver failure. Transient elastography (TE) also known as fibroscan is an easy and noninvasive procedure for liver stiffness measurements (LSM). Methods: Sixty patients with either MDS, chronic myelomonocytic leukemia with dysplastic features, acute myeloid leukemia progressed from MDS or myelodysplastic/ myeloproliferative neoplasm, unclassifiable were included. All patients underwent a fibroscan, had their SF measured and disease duration calculated. Patients were grouped according to transfusion dependency or independency status. Results: Transfusion dependent patients had significantly higher LSM than those who were transfusion independent (p=0.003). There was no positive correlation between SF and LSM (p=0.103) or time since diagnosis and LSM (p=0.886). Patients with elevated SF did not have significantly higher LSM compared to those with normal SF (p=0.583). Conclusion: These data indicate that transfusion dependency has an impact on liver stiffness in MDS. Longitudinel studies are needed to conclude whether TE is of value in monitoring IOL in MDS.

Treatment with hypomethylating agents (HMAs) improves overall survival (OS) in patients who achieve a response of stable disease (SD) or better (complete remission [CR], partial remission [PR], or hematologic improvement [HI]). It is not well established if patients who achieve SD at 4–6 months of therapy should be offered different therapies to optimize their response or continue with the same regimen. Clinical data were obtained from the MDS Clinical Research Consortium database. SD was defined as no evidence of progression and without achievement of any other responses. Of 291 patients treated with AZA or DAC, 55% achieved their best response (BR) at 4–6 months. Among patients with SD at 4–6 months, 29 (20%) achieved a better response at a later treatment time point. Younger patients with lower bone marrow blast percentages, and intermediate risk per IPSS-R were more likely to achieve a better response (CR, PR, or HI) after SD at 4–6 months. Patients with SD who subsequently achieved CR had superior OS compared to patients who remained with SD (28.1 vs. 14.4 months, respectively, p = .04). In conclusion, patients treated with HMAs who achieves CR after a SD status had longer survival with continuous treatment after 6 months.

In chronic viral hepatitis the liver biopsy helps the clinician to decide when to start treatment and plan follow-up. However, the execution of a liver biopsy is associated with discomfort, and sampling error can lead to misinterpretation. Serum markers and transient elastography (TE) are being considered as surrogates to the liver biopsy. The noninvasive tests are considered equal in identifying significant fibrosis, but TE is superior in identifying cirrhosis.

Capnocytophaga canimorsus is a gram-negative bacterial species hosted in the oral cavity of dogs. C. canimorsus can cause sepsis, meningitis and endocarditis. Penicillin is the drug of choice. However, the species is a slow-grower and sometimes missed in blood cultures. Patients with a history of alcoholism, splenectomy or immunodeficiency are at an increased risk of contracting serious infections with C. canimorsus following dog bites. We report a case story of C. canimorsus meningitis contracted after a dog bite.

Primary infections with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) often lead to infectious mononucleosis with sore throat, lymphadenopathy and hepatitis, especially in youngsters. However, neurological complications can occur even in immunocompetent individuals. We report two case stories of two middle-aged men with primary EBV infections who presented severe neurological manifestations of the disease, but both fully recovered. Hepatitis was present in both cases, but not the classical mononucleosis. The cases stress that clinicians should be aware of these rare courses of primary EBV infections.

Early prefibrotic myelofibrosis (early PMF) is a diagnosis that clinically and histologically mimic essential thrombocythemia (ET), but is important to distinguish from ET, polycythemia vera (PV) and primary myelofibrosis (PMF) due to its different prognosis and clinical evolution. In this study, we assessed the allele burden of JAK2V617F in bone marrow biopsies from patients with these chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms. We correlated our findings with the amount of phosphorylated STAT3 (P-STAT3) and STAT5 (P-STAT5) in megakaryocyte nuclei in the bone marrow. The JAK2V617F allele burden was significantly higher in patients with PV (median: 50.99, range: 23.08-97.29, p < 0.01 and p < 0.01) and PMF (median: 44.13, range: 33.61-92.17, p < 0.05 and p < 0.01) compared with a low allele burden in ET (median: 23.465, range: 8.67-47.92) and early PMF (median: 25.68, range: 0.61-49.13) respectively. In addition, we found a significantly higher phosphorylation of STAT5 and STAT3 in the JAK2V617F positive group than in the negative group. There was no positive correlation between increasing JAK2V617F allele burden and the amount of P-STAT3 and P-STAT5. However, we found low values of P-STAT5 in bone marrow biopsies from patients with ETJAK2V617F+ as compared with patients with early PMFJAK2V617F+. Although this difference was statistically significant, larger studies are needed to firmly support this conclusion.

Hepatitis C does not only affect the liver, but also manifests outside the liver. The skin, kidneys and nervous system are often involved due to mixed cryoglobulinaemia. Porphyria cutanea tarda, lymphoma and thyroid diseases among others can also attend a chronic infection, but the exact pathogenesis behind these manifestations is not clearly mapped. Antiviral treatment is reported to induce sustained virological response in more than half of the treated patients with a variable clinical response in the extrahepatic manifestations.

Risum M, Madelung A, Bondo H, Bzorek M, Kristensen MH, Stamp IM, Hasselbalch HC. The JAK2V617F allele burden and STAT3- and STAT5 phosphorylation in myeloproliferative neoplasms: early prefibrotic myelofibrosis compared with essential thrombocythemia, polycythemia vera and myelofibrosis. APMIS 2011; 119: 498–504. Early prefibrotic myelofibrosis (early PMF) is a diagnosis that clinically and histologically mimic essential thrombocythemia (ET), but is important to distinguish from ET, polycythemia vera (PV) and primary myelofibrosis (PMF) due to its different prognosis and clinical evolution. In this study, we assessed the allele burden of JAK2V617F in bone marrow biopsies from patients with these chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms. We correlated our findings with the amount of phosphorylated STAT3 (P-STAT3) and STAT5 (P-STAT5) in megakaryocyte nuclei in the bone marrow. The JAK2V617F allele burden was significantly higher in patients with PV (median: 50.99, range: 23.08–97.29, p < 0.01 and p < 0.01) and PMF (median: 44.13, range: 33.61–92.17, p < 0.05 and p < 0.01) compared with a low allele burden in ET (median: 23.465, range: 8.67–47.92) and early PMF (median: 25.68, range: 0.61–49.13) respectively. In addition, we found a significantly higher phosphorylation of STAT5 and STAT3 in the JAK2V617F positive group than in the negative group. There was no positive correlation between increasing JAK2V617F allele burden and the amount of P-STAT3 and P-STAT5. However, we found low values of P-STAT5 in bone marrow biopsies from patients with ETJAK2V617F+ as compared with patients with early PMFJAK2V617F+. Although this difference was statistically significant, larger studies are needed to firmly support this conclusion.

Lenalidomide is the first drug to induce transfusion independence and cytogenetic remission in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) with deletion 5q and low or intermediate risk score. Transfusion independence can be obtained within five weeks. Three out of four patients also obtain a cytogenetic response to treatment. However, concern has arisen about the possibility of an increased risk of transformation to acute myeloid leukaemia. A multicenter, randomised, placebo-controlled study with long-term follow-up is needed.