STUDIES OF ECOLOGY, EPIDEMIOLOGY, MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND CLINICALS OF CRYPTOCOCCUS NEOFORMANS
新生隐球菌的生态学、流行病学、分子生物学及临床研究

Cryptococcus neoformans has been studied systematically in China. Ecologically, natural isolates from pigeon droppings were found in the polymorphism of phenotypes which includes serotype A, AD and urease negative strains of C. neoformans var. neoformans, Those phenotypes also were found correspondingly in clinical isolates. In molecular biology, G+C mol% and karyotypes of C. neoformans were analysed. A significant information got from PFGE analysis was that two varieties and five serotypes of C. neoformans isolates were shown obvious different patterns of karyotypes. Clinically, a new medium was made for the clinical identification of this pathogenic yeast, which is favorable to test both urease and phenoloxidase simultaneously. The L-form of C. neoformans was induced by a high osmotic culture medium. It suggests that the chronic course and clinical relapses of infection may correlate with the L - form formation during the infectious periods of this yeast. Fluconazole has been shown very efficient to cure the patients infected by C. neoformans. A possible combination therapy , such as fluconazole and amphotericin B liposome, should be emphasized in the future research. In conclussion, the systemic study on C. neoformans has been preliminary carried out in China and some interesting results have been achieved.