Low albumin levels precede mucormycosis in pediatric cancer patients

Abstract

Mucormycosis remains a devastating fungal infection. Albumin has been proposed as a host defense mechanism against Mucorales with direct antifungal effects. In both matched and unmatched case-control analyses, serum albumin levels were lower in pediatric cancer patients with mucormycosis (N = 12) compared to children with other infections. Children with mucormycosis that died had significantly lower albumin levels than those who survived, whereas albumin levels were not associated with mortality in children with other infections. In addition, hypoalbuminemia preceded mucormycosis suggesting it may serve as a risk factor and potential therapeutic target.