Abstract

This chapter cites Pneumocystis jirovecii (PJP), formerly known as Pneumocystis carinii, as an opportunistic pathogen that causes pneumonia in the immunocompromised individual. It explains how the disease caused by PJP occurs when both cellular and humoral immunity are impaired. It also looks at serologic studies that show the worldwide distributions of Pneumocystis and prevalence of antibodies to specific antigens that varies among different geographic regions. The chapter traces how PJP first came to attention when it caused interstitial pneumonia in severely malnourished and premature infants in Central and Eastern Europe during World War II. It describes PJP as one of several life-threatening opportunistic infections in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection worldwide and as the most common AIDS-defining illness in patients with advanced HIV infection.

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