Randhawa H S, Paliwal D K
Sabouraudia. 1979 Dec;17(4):399-404. doi: 10.1080/00362177985380591.
Cryptococcus neoformans was cultured from 9 (1%) of 835 clinical specimens examined from the respiratory tract of patients. These isolations came from 3 (0.4%) of the760 patients; 8 isolates were from sputum and one from urine. The fungus was not demonstrable in the air at a selected site during a 2-year study although other species of Cryptococcus, namely, C. albidus, C. ater, C. flavus, C. laurentii, C. magnus, C. terreus and C. uniguttulatus were isolated. The three C. neoformans positive patients were males, with pulmonary tuberculosis as the primary disease and history of repeated exposure to pigeon excreta in two. None of these patients manifested any overt signs and symptoms specificially attributable to cryptococcosis, nor did they receive any antifungal therapy. Repeated isolations of C. neoformans from sputum, a positive urine culture and demonstration of cryptococcal antibodies in a serum specimen, followed by negative cultures and serology, suggested that patient 1 had spontaneously recovered from an episode of benign, minimal pulmonary cryptococcosis. Patients 2 and 3 probably carried the fungus as a transient resident of the respiratory tract. The results suggest that C. neoformans is of uncommon occurrence in the respiratory tract of patients with bronchopulmonary disorders and that the isolation of the fungus from this site may not necessarily imply an etiologic relationship.
从835份取自患者呼吸道的临床标本中，有9份（1%）培养出新型隐球菌。这些分离株来自760名患者中的3名（0.4%）；8株分离自痰液，1株分离自尿液。在一项为期两年的研究中，在所选定的地点空气中未检测到该真菌，不过分离出了其他隐球菌种类，即浅白隐球菌、黑色隐球菌、黄隐球菌、罗伦隐球菌、大隐球菌、土生隐球菌和单孢隐球菌。3名新型隐球菌阳性患者均为男性，原发性疾病为肺结核，其中2名有反复接触鸽粪的病史。这些患者均未表现出任何明显的、可明确归因于隐球菌病的体征和症状，也未接受任何抗真菌治疗。从痰液中反复分离出新型隐球菌、尿培养阳性以及血清标本中检测到隐球菌抗体，随后培养和血清学检测呈阴性，提示患者1已从一次良性、轻度肺部隐球菌病发作中自发康复。患者2和3可能只是呼吸道的短暂寄居者携带了该真菌。结果表明，新型隐球菌在支气管肺部疾病患者的呼吸道中并不常见，从该部位分离出该真菌不一定意味着存在病因学关联。
