Candida Community Group
To discuss, share research and information on candidiasis and its effects and treatment.
There IS such a thing, if some doctors could get over thinking it only happens to HIV patients.
I don't know if either of these is the most respectable source, but they do both generally provide references.
Candida in the Human Lung Written by Luke Curtis, MD MS CIH
In people with reasonably functional immune systems, Candida can still cause a number of health problems including digestive problems, increased risk for allergy, and infections to the urinary and sex organs...
The role of Candida colonization/ infection in the human lung is not well understood. Candida species colonize the lungs of about half of all humans, the majority of which are asymptomatic1. A study of 803 intensive care unit (ICU) patients reported that Candida lung colonization was associated with significantly longer duration of mechanical ventilation, significantly longer hospital stay, and significantly higher rates of Pneumonia due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria2. Another study reported that Candida colonization was associated with a 2.5 fold increased risk of death in patients with VAP = ventilator associated pneumonia 3. Chronic Candida lung colonization has also been associated with poorer lung function in cystic fibrosis patients 4.
Various animal studies have reported that combined lung infections involving both pathogenic bacteria (such as Staphylococcus aureus) and Candida have significantly higher mortality than infection with either pathogen alone 5. The authors concluded that much more research is needed to study lung infections involving both pathogenic bacteria and Candida. 1.
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Assessment and Treatment of Fungal Lung Infections
https://www.uspharmacist.com/article/assessment-and-treatment-of-fungal-lung-infections
Invasive fungal infections occur in both immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients...
Candidiasis: Pulmonary pneumonia infection due to Candida species is rare and diagnosis can be difficult. Primary Candida pneumonia refers to an invasive infection in the lungs, while secondary pneumonia refers to dissemination of invasive candidiasis.1,12 Colonization of the lung parenchyma with Candida species is common; in critically ill patients, however, defense mechanisms are rendered ineffective, thus enabling penetration of lung tissue. Many critically ill patients are empirically treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics. Further clinical deterioration and lack of improvement in these cases suggest the initiation of empiric antifungal therapy. Because triazole antifungals and echinocandins exhibit excellent lung penetration, they—in addition to AmB formulations—are effective for treating pulmonary candidiasis, despite the lack of specific studies regarding the treatment of Candida pneumonia.12,13
Tracheobronchial mycosis in a retrospective case-series study of five status asthmaticus patients.
Mak G1, Porter PC, Bandi V, Kheradmand F, Corry DB.
Clin Immunol. 2013 Feb;146(2):77-83. doi: 10.1016/j.clim.2012.11.005. Epub 2012 Nov 27.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3569972
The etiology of status asthmaticus (SA), a complication of severe asthma, is unknown. Fungal exposure, as measured by fungal atopy, is a major risk factor for developing asthma, but the relationship of fungi in SA per se has not previously been reported...
We also demonstrate that inhalation of the yeast Candida albicans readily induces asthma-like disease in mice. Our observations suggest that SA may represent a fungal infectious process, and support additional prospective studies utilizing anti-fungal therapy to supplement conventional therapy, broad-spectrum antibiotics and high-dose glucocorticoids, which can promote fungal overgrowth.
PMID: 23280490 PMCID: PMC3569972 DOI: 10.1016/j.clim.2012.11.005
Highlights
-Candida albicans inhalation causes of asthma-like disease in mice.
-Mucolysis and incubation at room and body temperature increased fungal recovery.
-Glucocorticoid and antibacterial therapy may aid fungal growth and exacerbate disease.
-Anti-fungal use in status asthmaticus should be considered in some cases.
...the abundant quantities of yeast present in the lower airways of our patients having no known constitutive immunodeficiency suggested that this organism could also be contributing to or in fact causing the SA...
Together, our findings suggest that standard therapy for severe asthma might predispose to tracheobronchial mycosis that if sufficiently severe, might lead to or exacerbate SA.
One of the articles that cites it:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5946149