Members of the REIPI developed a new procedure that allows to predict the severity of patients with invasive fungal infections.

-invasive candidiasis are one of the main causes of mortality in patients with impaired defenses, i.e., cancer patients, transplant recipients and other patients in intensive care

– so far, the prognosis of the serious nature of these infections was based on clinical factors

-clinical markers that exist today have a limited value Outlook

-know the prognosis of the patient will allow improving the treatment of these patients and reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with invasive Mycosis

Madrid, October 2010.- the invasive candidiasis are a type of infection which is currently one of the main causes of mortality in those patients who are seriously impaired defenses, mainly cancer patients, transplant recipients and other patients in intensive care.

Given the seriousness of the infections caused by the fungus Candida albicans, and high morbidity which is associated, it is necessary to discover new biomarkers to predict the severity of the same and to identify those patients who can benefit most effective therapeutic interventions, as well as a more comprehensive clinical monitoring.

In this regard, the results of work carried out by members of the Spanish network for research in infectious pathology (REIPI), Aida Pitarch, César Nombela and Concha Gil, published in the prestigious journal Molecular and Cellular Proteomics, could improve the prognosis of the severity of infections caused by this bacterium.

As indicated the DRA. Concha Gil, Member of the REIPI, this research provides a new algorithm based on immune response of the body, with five antigens, i.e. proteins that induce the generation of antibodies against this pathogen, for forecasting the severity of the infection ”.

These results are encouraging, since the procedure proposed by the researchers, is very suitable to predict the evolution of invasive candidiasis, contributing to improve the treatment of these patients ”, drew the DRA. Gil.

One of the fundamental problems is that she is not currently used biomarker for prognosis of invasive candidiasis in hospitals and the prognosis of the severity of infections caused by this fungus is based on clinical factors. In addition, so far only it could predict the severity of the infection once this had been diagnosed.

For this reason, the novelty of this discovery lies in that it is a combination of molecular biomarkers that cover a broader range of patients and features related to the capacity of the fungus to cause infections ”, says Dr. Gil.

Clinical markers that exist today have a limited value Outlook and the few molecular markers that have been discovered so far are not sufficiently precise to achieve a broad clinical use.

The fact that is known the prognosis of the patient allows to adapt and identify decision-making therapeutic and minimize the morbidity and mortality rates associated with these invasive Mycosis, even to talk about personalized medicine ”, concludes the DRA. Gil.

More information on the REIPI

The Spanish network for research in infectious pathology (REIPI) is a cooperative structure inter-territorial research framed in the thematic networks for cooperative research in health (RETICS), funded by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III and FEDER funds, under the Ministry of science and innovation.

25 Research groups of seven autonomous communities are participating in the REIPI. The main objective is to produce scientific knowledge in the area of the infectious diseases, by grouping together to infectólogos, microbiologists and immunologists.

The REIPI focuses on investigating the most important health problems in the area of infectious diseases, such as antimicrobial resistance, new research antibacterial, the improvement of the survival of major community or hospital infections, and infections in transplant patients, among others.