[Epidemiological characteristics of Pneumocystis jirovecii infection and colonization in non-AIDS patients].

Objective

To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of Pneumocystis jirovecii infection and colonization in non-AIDS patients.

Methods

From January 2010 to December 2017, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was detected by Grocott's methenamine silver (GMS) staining and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (qPCR) in non-AIDS patients with bronchoscopic alveolar lavage at Peking University First Hospital. At the same time, Pneumocystis jirovecii was detected in the environment of the hospital.

Results

Within 8 years, Pneumocystis jirovecii were detected in BALF of a total of 1 407 non-AIDS patients. GMS staining was performed in all these 1 407 cases, of which 114 (8.10%) cases were with Pneumocystis jirovecii infection and 3 (0.21%) cases with colonization. There were totally 946 non-AIDS immunocompromised patients, of which 113 (11.95%) cases were infected and 2 (0.21%) cases with colonization; there were 461 non-AIDS immunocompetent patients, of which only 1 (0.22%) case was infected and 1 (0.22%) case with colonization. GMS staining and qPCR were both performed in 196 cases, of which 36 (18.37%) cases were infected and 33 (16.84%) cases with colonization. There were totally 175 non-AIDS immunocompromised patients, of which 36 (20.57%) cases were infected and 30 (17.14%) cases with colonization; there were 21 non-AIDS immunocompetent patients, of which no one was infected and 3 (14.29%) cases with colonization. By means of GMS staining and qPCR, no Pneumocystis jiroveci were detected in the environment of Peking University First Hospital.

Conclusions

Pneumocystis pneumonia is rare in immunocompetent patients, but not in non-AIDS immunocompromised patients. And colonization is rare in both of them. There may be no Pneumocystis jiroveci in the environment.