Clinical Research Directory

Studies of Disorders With Increased Susceptibility to Fungal Infections

Background: \- Researchers are interested in studying disorders that make individuals more susceptible to fungal infections, specifically infections with the Candida yeast. These disorders are often related to problems with the immune system and may have genetic factors, which suggests that researchers should study not only the individual with the disorder, but also his or her first- and second-degree relatives (such as parents, siblings, children, and first cousins). To provide material for future research, individuals with immune disorders and their first- and second-degree relatives will be asked to provide blood and other samples for testing and comparison with samples taken from healthy volunteers with no history of immune disorders. Objectives: \- To collect blood and other biological samples to study immune disorders that make individuals more susceptible to fungal infections. Eligibility: * Individuals of any age who have abnormal immune function characterized by recurrent or unusual fungal infections, recurrent or chronic inflammation, or other types of immune dysfunction. * First- or second-degree genetically related family members (limited to mother, father, siblings, grandparents, children, aunts, uncles, and first cousins). * Healthy volunteers at least 18 years of age (for comparison purposes). Design: * Participants will provide blood samples and buccal (cells from the inside of the mouth near the cheek) samples. * Participants with immune disorders will also be asked to provide urine samples, saliva or mucosal samples, or skin tissue biopsies, and may also have imaging studies (such as x-rays) to collect information for research. * Samples may be collected at the National Institutes of Health or at other clinical locations for the samples to the sent to the National Institutes of Health. * No treatment will be provided as part of this protocol.

Fungal Infections During and After the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: A Retrospective Comparison

his study aims to retrospectively compare fungal positivity rates between the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the post-pandemic periods. During the pandemic, Candida species had a positivity rate of 17.36%, and Aspergillus had a rate of 2.22%. Post-pandemic, these rates decreased to 9.29% and 1.00%, respectively. The overall fungal positivity rate decreased from 9.15% during the pandemic to 5.13% post-pandemic. Statistical analysis revealed a significant decrease in fungal positivity rates post-pandemic (p \< 0.01). These findings underscore the effectiveness of post-pandemic healthcare interventions and infection control strategies.

Emergency PWAS in Respiratory Infectious Disease

Develop an emergency PanorOmics Wide Association Study (ePWAS) for the early, rapid biological and pathophysiological characterisation of known and novel Infectious Diseases in adult patients presenting to emergency departments with suspected, acute, community-acquired respiratory infectious disease (scaRID). Phase 1 1. Develop an ED-ID biobank (named ePWAS-RID). Phase 2 2. Targeted research for the discovery of novel diagnostics, prognostics and therapeutics