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Zombie Cells, Composite Cells of Fungal–Human Keratinocytes of Plantar Hyperkeratosis-Like Lesions

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Abstract

Foot hyperkeratosis is common. They often coincide with fungal infections, are difficult to cure and relapse rates are high. In this case study, longstanding and intractable plantar hyperkeratotic lesions were investigated for potential causative agents by histological examinations, by using human cell culture medium to grow the infected skin tissue, by sequencing ribosomal DNA and whole genome. Aspergillus sydowii was identified as the pathogen in the hyperkeratotic lesions. A peculiars intracellular infection of the fungus appeared to merge with anucleated epithelial cells of the skin, in which not fungal cells but basophilic nucleus-like bodies and abundant fungal proteins were seen in the cells. The composite fungal–human zombie-like cells were found to grow in the culture and in hyperkeratotic lesions, and some were readily transformed to natural fungus. Such zombie cells might play roles in the pathogenesis and recurrences of plantar hyperkeratotic lesions, resistance to antifungal drugs and relapses of the fungal infections.

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Acknowledgements

At the completion of writing this research paper, the author feels deeply indebted to many people who have helped him in the entire process of this work and wish to thank them all. Ningning Ma, Ph.D. Yishengke Co. Ltd., Shenzhen, China. Dr. Ma provided the kind gift of ATG293 medium. Xiang Mack, MD. Kaiser Permanente Care Delivery Technology Services, San Francisco, California, USA, Dr. Mark provided medical terminology discussions and consulting. Karl Mack, Ph.D., San Francisco, California, USA. Dr. Mack helped proofreading and providing critique and suggestions on an early draft of manuscript. BioLake, Wuhan (The Wuhan National Biomedical Research and Business Park), provided rental spaces and services for setting up the research lab and conducting this work.

Funding

This research project was solely the authors’ devotions of individual efforts and resources to understanding the mechanisms of diseases and to contributing the improvements of public health and the advances of biomedical sciences, no public or private funding was received for this research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. 666 Gaoxin Avenue, Biolake Building B1-303, Wuhan, 430075, Hubei, China

    Charles Xiaoxiang Zhu

  2. Xiangya Medical School, North Campus, Building 10, Rm 303, 88 Xiangya Road, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China

    Charles Xiaoxiang Zhu

  3. Department of Pathology, Beijing Cancer Hospital, Peking University, 52 Fucheng Road, Beijing, 100142, China

    Xianghong Li

  4. Department of General Surgery, Shaoyang First People’s Hospital, 39 Tongheng Street, Shaoyang, Hunan, China

    Xiaogang Tan

  5. Medicalbio Corporation, 33 Zique Road, Room 3239, Beijing, 100086, China

    Guodong Wu

Authors
  1. Charles Xiaoxiang Zhu
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  2. Xianghong Li
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  3. Xiaogang Tan
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  4. Guodong Wu
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Contributions

Author Contributions

CXZ conceived and designed the study and guided the interpretation of the results. CZX, XHL, XGT, and DGW conducted experiments and data analysis. CXZ provided the human subject data and analysis. CXZ drafted the manuscript. All authors discussed the results, edited and approved the draft and final versions of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Charles Xiaoxiang Zhu.

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The authors certify that they have NO affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest (such as honoraria; educational grants; participation in speakers’ bureaus; membership, employment, consultancies, stock ownership, or other equity interest; and expert testimony or patent-licensing arrangements), or non-financial interest (such as personal or professional relationships, affiliations, knowledge or beliefs) in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript.

Ethical Approval

This research can be categorized as a self-experimentation of individual’s constitutional rights, no ethical approval is required.

Human and Animal Rights

The human subject, author CZ, for the purpose of this study was to examine the effect only on the researcher, and International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) registration is not required.

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Zhu, C.X., Li, X., Tan, X. et al. Zombie Cells, Composite Cells of Fungal–Human Keratinocytes of Plantar Hyperkeratosis-Like Lesions. Mycopathologia 184, 597–605 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-019-00369-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-019-00369-0

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