Journal of Capital Medical University ›› 2024, Vol. 45 ›› Issue (2): 187-193.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1006-7795.2024.02.003

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The impact of Candida albicans colonization in the airway on ventilator-associated pneumonia caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Wang Lihui1, Zhang Weijun1, Yang Simin2, Zhu Cheng3, Lin Bin4, Gao Yuan1, Xiang Shulin5,6,7, Yu Yuetian1,4,5,8*   

  1. 1. Department of Critical Care Medicine, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200001, China; 2. Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200123, China; 3. Department of Disease Prevention and Healthcare, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China; 4. Key Laboratory of Intelligent Pharmacy and Individualized Therapy, Zhejiang Huzhou 313100, China; 5. Guangxi Health Commission Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Nanning 530021, China; 6. Research Center of Communicable and Severe Diseases, Guangxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanning 530021, China; 7. Department of Intensive Care Unit, The Peoples Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning 530021, China; 8. Key Laboratory of Multiple Organ Failure(Zhejiang University),Ministry of Education, Hangzhou 310027, China
  • Received:2023-12-10 Online:2024-04-21 Published:2024-04-25
  • Supported by:
    This study was supported by the Project of the Key Laboratory of Multiple Organ Failure, Ministry of Education (226-2023-00100), the Key Laboratory of Intelligent Pharmacy and Individualized Treatment in Huzhou City (HZKF-20240101), and the Guangxi Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ZZH2020013). 

Abstract: Objective  To investigate the impact of Candida albicans colonization on the mortality, duration of antibiotic therapy, immune and inflammation status in patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) caused by multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Methods  This prospective multicenter cohort study included patients with VAP caused by multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MDR-Pa) admitted to six tertiary teaching hospitals from June 2018 to June 2023. The patients were divided into colonization group and non-colonization group based on the presence of Candida albicans detected in the broncho-alveolar lavage fluid (BALF). The 30-d all-cause mortality, duration of antibiotic therapy, immune and inflammation status were compared between the two groups after VAP diagnosis on the day1, day3, day5, and day7. Results  During the five-year research period, a total of 232 VAP patients caused by MDR-Pa were included from six participating units in the intensive care unit (ICU), with 105 cases in the colonization group and 127 cases in the non-colonization group. The Pseudomonas aeruginosa detected in BALF samples from the non-colonization group showed higher sensitivity to aminoglycosides, cephalosporins, and carbapenems compared to the colonization group (P<0.05). However, both groups showed lower sensitivity to 16 antibiotics compared to China antimicrobial surveillance network (CHINET) 2022 (P<0.05).  Interleukin-17A and (1,3)-β-D glucan levels in the non-colonization group were consistently lower than those in the colonization group at various time points, and other inflammatory markers were more likely to return to normal values (P<0.05). Additionally, the absolute values of T and Th lymphocytes in the non-colonization group recovered to normal levels faster on the day 7 (P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the 30-d all-cause mortality between the two groups (25.7% vs 22.8%, P=0.61), but the non-colonization group had a significantly shorter duration of antibiotic therapy compared to the colonization group [(11.3±3.1)d vs (14.2±4.7)d, P<0.01], with a trend towards shorter ICU hospitalization time. Conclusion  The colonization of Candida albicans in the airway does not affect the 30-d all-cause mortality of patients with VAP caused by MDR-Pa. However, it does prolong the inflammatory response and the duration of antibiotic use, as well as delay the recovery of immune function.

Key words: ventilator-associated pneumonia, Candida albicans, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, colonization, co-exist

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