Editorial commentary: Environmental risk factors for pneumocystis pneumonia hospitalization in HIV/AIDS patients

摘要

Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) is unique among infections of humans and lower mammals in that the organism and the disease it causes remain localized to the lungs, even in the most severely immunocompromised and fatal cases, with rare exception. Both cyst and trophozoite forms reside in the alveolar spaces with or without attachment to alveolar lining cells and with limited interstitial invasion. Generally, the severity of the disease is related to the number of organisms filling the alveolar spaces and activity of alveolar macrophages. Thus, at the distal end of the airway, inspired environmental air comes directly in contact with the organism and disease process. Once PCP becomes discernible by chest radiograph, the outcome is universally fatal if untreated. These features provide an opportunity to study the role of environmental air pollution on a lower respiratory tract disease.