Candida bloodstream infection in patients with systemic autoimmune diseases

Abstract Objectives To describe the epidemiological, clinical and microbiological characteristics and mortality of patients with Candida bloodstream infection and systemic autoimmune diseases. Methods We performed a retrospective multicenter study of candidemia in adults with systemic autoimmune diseases between 2010 and 2016. Results Among 1040 patients with candidemia, 36 (3.5%) had a systemic autoimmune disease. The most common systemic autoimmune disease was rheumatoid arthritis (27.8%). The most common species was Candida albicans (66.7%). Twenty-two (61.1%) patients received a corticosteroid therapy and nine (25%) received an immunosuppressive therapy at the time of candidemia. The mortality rate was 27.8%. Conclusions Systemic autoimmune diseases are not common in patients with candidemia. The unadjusted mortality rate was comparable to other candidemia studies in the general population.