Page updated:
17 March 2014: Added Preliminary Results (MFIP-Poster.pdf)

Dear all,

The mfip-project has been finalized (see “mfip synopsis” document). Twenty one centers (see “mfip center list”) have participated in this project from April 2013 to September 2013. Thus, the present study is the largest mycological study realized in CF, and might represent quite exhaustively the worldwide Caucasian population.

Each center received specific media prepared in Lille’s center, the protocol to use them, and an excel table to summarize the results (see “mfip-protocol” document).

After September, Lille center (Dr L Delhaes; Laurence.delhaes@pasteur-lille.fr) will compile results (mycological analysis of about 500 sputa) to decipher mold prevalence, relevance and interest of each medium. 

Jean-Philippe and I thank the colleagues and centers for their trust in us, and we hope we will be able to give some nice data soon!

Sincerely yours,
Laurence


ECMM/ISHAM Working Group on "Filamentous fungi and chronic respiratory infections in cystic fibrosis 

Dear colleagues,

During the last meeting of our working group in Angers, we had a productive discussion and made clear advances regarding the realization of an international study with the purpose of standardization of the mycological examination of respiratory samples from CF patients (called MFIP for “MucoFong International Project”).

As a first step, I collected your answers to a general questionnaire focused on your current procedures. The data have been then presented and discussed during our meeting in Angers (“Towards standardization for mycological examination of sputum samples from Cystic Fibrosis patients - From the French multicenter experience to an international study”). For the LDelhaes-mfip-presentation please click here (pdf). 

To summarize our discussion:

  • A large and worldwide representative number of groups will participate in the mfip-study;
  • A consensus emerges for using a total of at least 6 media incubated at 2 temperatures (37°C and <30°C), for sharing the same database via a secured internet access and producing strong results since we should included about 500 sputa within 1 to 3 months.


​I sincerely thank everyone for answering the mfip-questionnaire, being part of this project and trusting in it.

You will find here (pdf) the proposed procedure we finalized with Jean-Philippe. 
Considering the selective media, we will made them for all the participants and send them to you.
Thus, if you’re still agree in participating to mfip, please send me (laurence.delhaes@pasteur-lille.fr) your full name and complete address, in order to receive mfip-media (as plates ready to use) together with the Sce-Sel+ culture medium.

Also note that the procedure includes prior digestion of sputum samples (preferred with Digest-Eur, but Sputasol or other mucolytic agents may be used if you prefer).

Finally, for those interested, all fungal isolates may be addressed to Lille or Angers for preservation for future studies and confirmation of the biochemical or morphological identification by MALDI-TOF masse spectrometer or molecular methods.

Sincerely yours,
Laurence Delhaes & Jean-Philippe Bouchara

We acknowledge the president of ECFS, Prof. Stuart Elborn and the ECFS Board for their cooperation and for making available the ECFS website 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 an 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: Laurence.delhaes@pasteur-lille.fr
Websites: http://www.ciil.fr
http://recherche.univ-lille2.fr/fr/annuequipes/sciencesviesante/ea/ea-4547-ciil.

Dr. Jean-Philippe Bouchara
Host-Pathogen Interaction Study Group (UPRES-EA 3142)
Institute of Biological Sciences in Health-IRIS
Angers University Hospital, France
Phone: +33 2 41 35 34 72; Fax: +33 2 41 35 36 16
E-mail: Jean-Philippe.Bouchara@univ-angers.fr


Dear colleagues,

The programme and abstract book from the meeting 1-2 Sep 2011 can be found here.

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

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: Laurence.delhaes@pasteur-lille.fr
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: Jean-Philippe.Bouchara@univ-angers.fr