Table 4.

Risk factors for invasive fungal infections in patients with hematologic malignancies.

Risk FactorInfectionPopulation
Abbreviations: AML, acute myeloid leukemia; ALL, acute lymphocytic leukemia; CLL, chronic lymphocytic leukemia; allo BMT, allogeneic bone marrow transplantation; aspergillosis, invasive Aspergillus infection; candidiasis, invasive candidiasis; CVC, central venous catheter; PBSCT, peripheral blood stem cell transplantation 
† Profound and persistent: < 100 cells/microliter, ≥ 10 days. 
Modified with permission from
Thomson Current Drugs and Tahsine Mahfouz and Elias Anaissie, Prevention of fungal infections in the immunocompromised host.
Current Opinion in Investigational Drugs.
2003
;
4
(8):
974
–990.
12 
 
Prior colonization/Infection 
    Colonization 
        Gut mucosa Invasive candidiasis AML, autoBMT, hematological malignancies 
        Airways Aspergillosis Hematological malignancies 
        Skin Fusariosis Hematological malignancies 
    Prior infection 
 Aspergillosis AML 
 Fusariosis AML, ALL, lymphomas 
 Blastomycosis, Coccidioidomycosis Lymphomas 
Net state of immunosuppression 
Immunosuppression may be limited to one arm of the immune system (e.g., neutropenia), or broad (neutropenia, lymphopenia, asplenia and others). 
Broad immunosuppression 
    Older age Yeast and mould infections Allo, autoBMT, PBSCT 
    Refractory malignancy Yeast and mould infections Acute leukemias 
    Myeloablative chemotherapy Yeast and mould infections Allo, autoBMT, PBSCT 
    Low CD 34+ dose (≤ 2 x 106/kg) Yeast and mould infections Allo, autoBMT, PBSCT 
    Stem cell manipulation Various infections Hematological malignancies 
    Histo-incompatibility Aspergillosis AlloBMT 
    Extensive prior chemotherapy  Hematological malignancies 
Neutropenia, profound, persistent † Aspergillosis, Invasive candidiasis, Fusariosis AML 
Lymphopenia and CD4 cytopenia 
    All causes Cryptococcosis AlloBMT 
 Aspergillosis Therapy with nucleoside analogs 
    Adrenal corticosteroids Aspergillosis, invasive candidiasis AlloBMT, PBSCT 
        1 to 2 mg/kg/day ≥ 3 to 5 weeks 
 Invasive candidiasis Leukemias 
 Cryptococcosis Hematological malignancies 
    Nucleoside analogs Yeast and mould infections CLL, lymphoma 
    Campath-1 H Yeast and mould infections CLL 
    Interleukin-2 therapy Aspergillosis Several patient populations 
    Infliximab (anti TNF-alpha) Aspergillosis AlloBMT 
Splenectomy Yeast and mould infections Allo, autoBMT 
Organ dysfunction 
    Pulmonary All infections (fungal & other) Cancer 
    Gut Invasive candidiasis > other Mucositis post-chemotherapy and post-radiotherapy 
 Invasive candidiasis AlloBMT 
    Skin Cryptococcosis, Candidiasis Sezary syndrome, CVC 
 Fusariosis Hematological malignancies 
 Aspergillosis and infection with Malassezia spp Hematological malignancies, trauma (CVC site) 
Risk FactorInfectionPopulation
Abbreviations: AML, acute myeloid leukemia; ALL, acute lymphocytic leukemia; CLL, chronic lymphocytic leukemia; allo BMT, allogeneic bone marrow transplantation; aspergillosis, invasive Aspergillus infection; candidiasis, invasive candidiasis; CVC, central venous catheter; PBSCT, peripheral blood stem cell transplantation 
† Profound and persistent: < 100 cells/microliter, ≥ 10 days. 
Modified with permission from
Thomson Current Drugs and Tahsine Mahfouz and Elias Anaissie, Prevention of fungal infections in the immunocompromised host.
Current Opinion in Investigational Drugs.
2003
;
4
(8):
974
–990.
12 
 
Prior colonization/Infection 
    Colonization 
        Gut mucosa Invasive candidiasis AML, autoBMT, hematological malignancies 
        Airways Aspergillosis Hematological malignancies 
        Skin Fusariosis Hematological malignancies 
    Prior infection 
 Aspergillosis AML 
 Fusariosis AML, ALL, lymphomas 
 Blastomycosis, Coccidioidomycosis Lymphomas 
Net state of immunosuppression 
Immunosuppression may be limited to one arm of the immune system (e.g., neutropenia), or broad (neutropenia, lymphopenia, asplenia and others). 
Broad immunosuppression 
    Older age Yeast and mould infections Allo, autoBMT, PBSCT 
    Refractory malignancy Yeast and mould infections Acute leukemias 
    Myeloablative chemotherapy Yeast and mould infections Allo, autoBMT, PBSCT 
    Low CD 34+ dose (≤ 2 x 106/kg) Yeast and mould infections Allo, autoBMT, PBSCT 
    Stem cell manipulation Various infections Hematological malignancies 
    Histo-incompatibility Aspergillosis AlloBMT 
    Extensive prior chemotherapy  Hematological malignancies 
Neutropenia, profound, persistent † Aspergillosis, Invasive candidiasis, Fusariosis AML 
Lymphopenia and CD4 cytopenia 
    All causes Cryptococcosis AlloBMT 
 Aspergillosis Therapy with nucleoside analogs 
    Adrenal corticosteroids Aspergillosis, invasive candidiasis AlloBMT, PBSCT 
        1 to 2 mg/kg/day ≥ 3 to 5 weeks 
 Invasive candidiasis Leukemias 
 Cryptococcosis Hematological malignancies 
    Nucleoside analogs Yeast and mould infections CLL, lymphoma 
    Campath-1 H Yeast and mould infections CLL 
    Interleukin-2 therapy Aspergillosis Several patient populations 
    Infliximab (anti TNF-alpha) Aspergillosis AlloBMT 
Splenectomy Yeast and mould infections Allo, autoBMT 
Organ dysfunction 
    Pulmonary All infections (fungal & other) Cancer 
    Gut Invasive candidiasis > other Mucositis post-chemotherapy and post-radiotherapy 
 Invasive candidiasis AlloBMT 
    Skin Cryptococcosis, Candidiasis Sezary syndrome, CVC 
 Fusariosis Hematological malignancies 
 Aspergillosis and infection with Malassezia spp Hematological malignancies, trauma (CVC site) 
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