European Cystic Fibrosis Society

Proposal to organize an international study with the purpose of developing a standardized approach to the mycological culture of respiratory samples from CF patients (MFIP for “MucoFong International Project”) 

Dear colleagues,

Our ECMM/ISHAM Working Group on "Filamentous fungi and chronic respiratory infections in cystic fibrosis" will have its 2nd meeting in Angers - 1st and 2nd of September 2011, Pr JP Bouchara - http://www.isham.org/WorkingGroups/CysticFibrosis.

One of the major aims of this working group is to clarify the role of filamentous fungi in the context of CF airways colonization.

Among filamentous fungi, Aspergillus fumigatus is the most common, but other species are reported increasingly, such as Scedosporium apiospermum, Aspergillus terreus, Exophiala dermatitidis and Scedosporium prolificans. However, the prevalence of these fungi in the context of CF is certainly underestimated and their clinical significance still remains to be defined.
In this context, our international and multidisciplinary network will take advantage of working together to improve our knowledge on the epidemiology, the physiopathology and clinical relevance of the colonization of the airways by filamentous fungi in patients with CF.
As a first step, we propose to organize an international study with the purpose of developing a standardized approach to the mycological culture of respiratory samples from CF patients (MFIP for “MucoFong International Project”). 

To conclude: Such a concerted effort towards defining the optimal method for the mycological analysis of the fungal component of CF microbiology is becoming a major requirement, not only to analyze the role of some “rarer” filamentous species in CF exacerbation or the existence of geographic variations in the fungal species that colonize CF patients, but also to be able to study the complexity of CF lung microbial ecology as well as its dynamics. Finally, with your contribution, we may contribute to the improvement of the follow-up of the patients, and therefore to the regular increase in their life expectancy.

Sincerely yours,
Laurence Delhaes & Jean-Philippe Bouchara

The MFIP-questionnaire link removed.

We acknowledge the President of ECFS, Prof. Stuart Elborn and the ECFS Board for their cooperation and for making available the ECFS site for this important project. All the collaborating centres will be acknowledged and we hope to present analysis of the data as soon as possible at a ECFS meeting.

Dr Laurence Delhaes
Laboratory of Parasitology-Mycology, Lille University hospital
Biology and Diversity of Eukaryotic Emerging Pathogens
Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille, France
Phone: +33 3 20 87 71 56
E-mail:
Websites: http://www.ciil.fr/
http://recherche.univ-lille2.fr/fr/annuequipes/sciencesviesante/ea/ea-4547-ciil.

Dr. Jean-Philippe Bouchara
Host-Parasite Interaction Study Group (UPRES-EA 3142) of Angers University
Laboratory of Parasitology-Mycology
Angers University Hospital, France
Phone: 33 2 41 35 34 72; Fax: 33 2 41 35 36 16
E-mail:
Website: http://www.med.univ-angers.fr/GEIHP/