Skip to main content
Journal cover image

Antimicrobial resistance: resistance to antifungal agents: mechanisms and clinical impact.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Kanafani, ZA; Perfect, JR
Published in: Clin Infect Dis
January 1, 2008

Despite advances in preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic interventions, invasive fungal infections cause significant morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients. The burden of antifungal resistance in such high-risk patients is becoming a major concern. A better understanding of the mechanisms and clinical impact of antifungal resistance is essential to the prompt and efficient treatment of patients with invasive mycoses and to improving the outcome of such infections. Although recent guidelines have attempted to standardize antifungal susceptibility testing, limitations still exist as a result of the incomplete correlation between in vitro susceptibility and clinical response to treatment. Four major mechanisms of resistance to azoles have been identified, all of which rely on altered gene expression. Mechanisms responsible for polyene and echinocandin resistance are less well understood. In addition to discussing the molecular mechanisms of antifungal resistance, this article elaborates on the concept of clinical resistance, which is critical to the understanding of treatment failure in patients with invasive fungal infections.

Duke Scholars

Altmetric Attention Stats
Dimensions Citation Stats

Published In

Clin Infect Dis

DOI

EISSN

1537-6591

Publication Date

January 1, 2008

Volume

46

Issue

1

Start / End Page

120 / 128

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Mycoses
  • Microbiology
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Immunocompromised Host
  • Humans
  • Drug Resistance, Fungal
  • Antifungal Agents
  • 3202 Clinical sciences
  • 11 Medical and Health Sciences
  • 06 Biological Sciences
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Kanafani, Z. A., & Perfect, J. R. (2008). Antimicrobial resistance: resistance to antifungal agents: mechanisms and clinical impact. Clin Infect Dis, 46(1), 120–128. https://doi.org/10.1086/524071
Kanafani, Zeina A., and John R. Perfect. “Antimicrobial resistance: resistance to antifungal agents: mechanisms and clinical impact.Clin Infect Dis 46, no. 1 (January 1, 2008): 120–28. https://doi.org/10.1086/524071.
Kanafani ZA, Perfect JR. Antimicrobial resistance: resistance to antifungal agents: mechanisms and clinical impact. Clin Infect Dis. 2008 Jan 1;46(1):120–8.
Kanafani, Zeina A., and John R. Perfect. “Antimicrobial resistance: resistance to antifungal agents: mechanisms and clinical impact.Clin Infect Dis, vol. 46, no. 1, Jan. 2008, pp. 120–28. Pubmed, doi:10.1086/524071.
Kanafani ZA, Perfect JR. Antimicrobial resistance: resistance to antifungal agents: mechanisms and clinical impact. Clin Infect Dis. 2008 Jan 1;46(1):120–128.
Journal cover image

Published In

Clin Infect Dis

DOI

EISSN

1537-6591

Publication Date

January 1, 2008

Volume

46

Issue

1

Start / End Page

120 / 128

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Mycoses
  • Microbiology
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Immunocompromised Host
  • Humans
  • Drug Resistance, Fungal
  • Antifungal Agents
  • 3202 Clinical sciences
  • 11 Medical and Health Sciences
  • 06 Biological Sciences