Evaluation of the Association of Polymorphisms in the Innate Immune System With the Risk for Cryptococcus Neoformans Infection in Patients Not Infected With HIV and Complications Associated With Cryptococcus Neoformans Infection

Innate immunity plays an important role for fungal recognition and initiation of fungicidal activity. We hypothesize that subtle differences in different molecules of innate immunity may contribute to either the predisposition or clinical course of infection with Cryptococcus neoformans. To test this hypothesis, we propose to analyze the allelic frequencies of 15 different genes (mannose binding lectin, Fc-gamma receptor IIa and IIb, Fc-gamma receptors IIIa and IIIb, myeloperoxidase, tumor necrosis factor-alpha and -beta, interleukin 1A and 1B, interleukin-1 receptor antagonist, interleukin-10, NRAMP-1, chitotriosidase, and chemokine receptor 5) and their intragenic polymorphic forms and to compare this data to the incidence and severity of C neoformans infection. With this study we hope to identify a group of molecules of innate immunity which influence the risk and severity of invasive C neoformans infection.

• INCLUSION CRITERIA:

Patients diagnosed with Cryptococcus neoformans infection will be identified from a data base overseen by Dr. Peter Pappas.

Only patients diagnosed and treated in the United States and Canada will be included in this analysis.

Only patients who are not coinfected with HIV will be included in the study.

Patient samples will be collected and clinical data will be evaluated only after signed informed consent has been obtained.