VNTR confirms the heterogeneity of Madurella mycetomatis and is a promising typing tool for this mycetoma causing agent.

The neglected tropical disease mycetoma is a chronic granulomatous inflammatory and infectious disease affecting various body parts. The most common causative agent is the fungus Madurella mycetomatis. In order to study the genetic diversity of this fungus and to monitor any potential outbreaks, a good typing method that can be used in endemic settings is needed. Previous typing methods developed were not discriminative and not easy to perform in resource-limited laboratories. Variable-Number-Tandem-Repeat (VNTR) typing overcomes these difficulties and further enables interlaboratory data comparison. Therefore, in this study we developed a VNTR method for typing M. mycetomatis. Six tandem-repeats were identified in the genome of M. mycetomatis isolate MM55 using an online tandem repeats software. The variation in these repeats was determined by PCR and gel-electrophoresis on DNA obtained from 81 M. mycetomatis isolates obtained from patients. These patients originated from Sudan, Mali, Peru, and India. The 81 isolates were divided into 14 genotypes which separated into two main clusters with seven and five subdivisions, respectively. VNTR typing confirms the heterogeneity of M. mycetomatis strains and can be used to study the epidemiology of M. mycetomatis. The results presented in this article are made fully available to the scientific community on request from the Eumycetoma Working Group. We hope that this open resource approach will bridge scientific community working with mycetoma from all around the world and lead to a deeper understanding of M. mycetomatis.

Nigrograna mackinnonii, Not Trematosphaeria grisea (syn., Madurella grisea), Is the Main Agent of Black Grain Eumycetoma in Latin America.

Mycetoma, a chronic and mutilating subcutaneous infection recognized by the WHO as a neglected tropical disease, has been reported in >25 countries in Africa, Asia, and South America. In Latin America, Trematosphaeria grisea is assumed to be the prevalent fungal agent. Recent molecular studies have shown that this is an environmental saprobe in Europe, where it is rarely implicated in human diseases. The aim of the present paper is to establish the identity of Latin American cases ascribed to Trematosphaeria grisea Three cases analyzed were caused by Nigrograna mackinnonii Data on an additional 21 strains in the literature revealed that N. mackinnonii rather than T. grisea is responsible for most cases of black grain eumycetoma in Latin America.

Eumicetoma: actualidades y perspectivas.

The eumycetoma is a severely debilitating chronic progressive fungal cutaneous infection. Classic clinical triad is characterized by painless subcutaneous mass, sinus tracts formation and sero-purulent discharge that contain aggregates of fungal hyphae called grains. Any part of the body can have affected, with extension to muscular or bone, even visceral compromised. The eumycetoma is observed in tropical and subtropical countries; In Latin-America, is reported with less frequency. In endemic areas, antibody presence again etiological agents were higher compared with number of people affected, thus it is supposed that individual genetic susceptibility most by exist. Recently, it was reported specific polymorphism in genes CR1, IL-8, NOS2 and chitriosidase, which were associated with development of eumycetoma. The diagnosis is suggested by clinical presentation; the histopathology and microbiology studies, plus radiologic valuation confirmed diagnosis. Madurella mycetomatis is the most informed etiological agent. Using phylogenetic tools new species in genus Madurella were reported; moreover, Trematosphaeria grisea and Pseudallescheria boydii were reclassified. Etiological agent Identification is important, because differences in antifungal susceptibility exist. Eumycetoma treatment includes surgery plus antifungal drugs. Identification of etiological agents is primordial, because antifungal resistance could exist. To development new pharmacological strategies, comprehension of grain formation physiology and drugs effects are necessary.