Pneumocystis jirovecii and microsporidia: An unusual coinfection in HIV patients?

Pneumocystis jirovecii and microsporidia species are recognized as opportunistic infectious pathogens in AIDS patients. Coinfection of both in one patient has been rarely reported. The aim of the present study was to investigate the coinfection of P. jirovecii and microsporidia in different tissues from AIDS deceased patients. Post mortem histological finding of P. jirovecii and microsporidia was demonstrated by means of the Grocott's methenamine silver and Brown Brenn staining, respectively. Molecular technique was used for identification and characterization of both fungi. Out of the 514 autopsied cases P. jirovecii and microsporidia species were identified in 53 (10.3%) and 62 (12.1%) cases respectively. A total of five cases (0.97%) coinfected with Pneumocystis and microsporidia were recovered from all analyzed autopsies. Coinfection of Pneumocystis and microsporidia is very challenging and raises interesting issues about host-parasite relationship. The early diagnosis of both pathogens must be crucial to establish correct and early treatments, improve the patient's evolution, reducing the risk of death.
This work was supported by the ‘Red Iberoamericana sobre Pneumocystosis’ (212RT0450) in the framework of The Ibero-American Programme for Science, Technology and Development (CYTED).