Sulfa Resistance and Dihydropteroate Synthase Mutants in Recurrent Pneumocystis carinii Pneumonia

Abstract

Failure of sulfa or sulfone prophylaxis is associated with mutations in Pneumocystis carinii gene coding for dihydropteroate synthase (DHPS). The DHPS genotype was analyzed in AIDS patients who had two separate episodes of P. carinii pneumonia. The results suggest that DHPS mutations can be selected de novo within patients by the pressure of a sulfa or sulfone drug.

Keywords

• Pneumocystis carinii
• pneumonia
• fungal typing
• drug resistance
• drug pressure
• mutation