Table 2.
Comparison of patient localization, underlying respiratory diseases, other potential risk factors, and sample type between Pneumocystis jirovecii colonized and non-colonized patients
| P. jirovecii DNA | P. jirovecii DNA | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| detected (n = 7) | not detected (n = 127) | ||
| Mean age | 69.0 ± 9.9 | 51.0 ± 20.9 | |
| Sex ratio | 6 | 1.3 | |
| Localization | Tripoli Governmental hospital | 1 (14.3%) | 12 (9.4%) |
| Nini hospital | 3 (42.8%) | 66 (52.0%) | |
| Monla hospital | 1 (14.3%) | 11 (8.7%) | |
| Mazloum hospital | 1 (14.3%) | 13 (10.2%) | |
| Local medical care | 1 (14.3%) | 25 (19.7%) | |
| Population characteristics | COPDa | 4 (57.1%) | 19 (14.9%) |
| Acute bronchitis | 1 (14.3%) | 26 (20.5%) | |
| Pulmonary fibrosis | 0 (0%) | 1 (0.8%) | |
| Influenza | 1 (14.3%) | 16 (12.6%) | |
| Rhinopharyngitis | 1 (14.3%) | 32 (25.2%) | |
| Asthma | 0 (0%) | 14 (11.0%) | |
| Pneumonia | 0 (0%) | 4 (3.1%) | |
| Respiratory infection | 0 (0%) | 8 (6.3%) | |
| Acute pulmonary oedema | 0 (0%) | 1 (0.8%) | |
| Respiratory distress syndrome | 0 (0%) | 4 (3.1%) | |
| Lung cancer | 0 (0%) | 2 (1.6%) | |
| Other risk factors | Cancer | 0 (0%) | 16 (12.6%) |
| Immune deficiency | 0 (0%) | 1 (0.8%) | |
| Corticotherapy | 0 (0%) | 5 (3.9%) | |
| Immunosuppressive treatment | 0 (0%) | 16 (12.6%) | |
| Antibiotherapy | 0 (0%) | 10 (7.9%) | |
| Type of samples | OPW | 3 (42.8%) | 53 (41.7%) |
| Sputum | 2 (28.6%) | 35 (27.5%) | |
| BAL | 1 (14.3%) | 13 (10.8%) | |
| Nasal swab | 1 (14.3%) | 11 (8.7%) | |
| Tracheal aspiration | 0 (0%) | 15 (11.8%) |
Abbreviations: BAL, bronchoalveolar lavage; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; OPW, oropharyngeal wash.
a
Because the number of colonized patients was low, the statistical analyses were not performed for criteria with similar or lower frequencies in colonized and non-colonized patients. Among the risk factors tested (i.e. sex ratio and COPD), COPD was the only one associated with a significant increased risk of Pneumocystis colonization (p 0.019).