An observational study in Chronic Mucocutaneous Candidiasis, Invasive Aspergillosis and CARD9, sponsored by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 1 Day to 99 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-11-09.
Sponsored by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) · Observational
Background:
- The immune system is made up of special cells, tissues, and organs that fight infections. Problems with this system may lead to frequent, severe, or unusual fungal infections. These infections are often difficult to treat. Researchers want to collect blood and tissue samples from people who have unusual, persistent or severe fungal infections or immune problems that increase the risk of these infections.
Objectives:
- To collect medical information and samples for a long-term study of people with immune system problems that lead to fungal infections.
Eligibility:
Design:
This protocol is a natural history study designed to investigate the clinical, microbiologic, genetic and immunologic correlates of primary immune deficiencies and other conditions associated with mucocutaneous and invasive fungal infections (IFIs). The hypothesis is that chronic mucocutaneous mycoses and IFIs are caused by abnormalities in immune function in these patients that can be identified using modern methods in molecular and cell biology and immunology. For inclusion, patients must have a history of or an active mucocutaneous or invasive fungal infection, but may or may not have a defined primary or acquired immunodeficiency state. Patients will undergo evaluations that include history/physical examination and blood, saliva, and possible tissue sampling for genetic and immunological testing. Patient relatives may also be screened for clinical, microbiological, genetic and/or immunological correlates of host defense abnormalities. Healthy volunteers will be enrolled as a source of control blood, saliva, and possible tissue sampling, and for genetic testing.
The aim of this protocol is to use modern methods in molecular and cell biology and immunology to elucidate the immunopathogenesis of fungal disease in humans. A better understanding of primary immunodeficiency and identification of fungal and host risk factors for fungal infection may provide new insights into pathogenesis and identify targets for development of novel therapies. Enrolled subjects may be followed for up to 25 years to undergo additional clinical evaluation and sampling. Follow-up may occur every 6 months or more frequently depending on clinical course, the underlying risk factor(s), and the type of fungal infection. Under some circumstances, standard medical treatment will be provided for a fungal infection or immune deficiency.
260 studies on the registry are indexed under Mycoses; 37 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 1,200 is above the median of 153 across 85 observational studies indexed under Mycoses.
Browse Mycoses studies →National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) is the lead sponsor of 2,446 studies on the registry; 179 are open to participants now.
Of its 405 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 302 (75%) have results posted.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
The study population will be drawn from referrals from the NIH Clinical Center staff, physicians at outside medical facilities, the Clinical Center Volunteer Program, and self-referrals. Patients may be evaluated as inpatients, or at the NIAID outpatient clinic depending on the severity of the clinical manifestations of their infection. The patients genetic relatives will be evaluated at the NIAID outpatient clinic. Patients or relatives who meet the inclusion and/or exclusion criteria, but who are not able to travel to the NIH Clinical Center may be enrolled in the study and evaluated for immune and genetic defects using send-in blood samples or clinical specimens (e.g., previously obtained biopsy specimens or saliva). Healthy volunteers must be seen at NIH and will not have the option to mail in samples.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Patients:
Patients with or without inherited or acquired abnormalities of immune function manifesting mucocutaneous and/or invasive fungal infections are eligible for screening and assessment under this protocol. Specifically, patients must meet all the following inclusion criteria in order to participate in this study:
Adults or children (regardless of age, sex, or ethnicity/race) with a known or yet uncharacterized inherited immunodeficiency and a definitively diagnosed mucocutaneous or invasive fungal infection.
OR
Adults or children (regardless of age, sex, or ethnicity/race) with acquired immunodeficiency and a severe, unusual, persistent or treatment- chronic mucocutaneous fungal infection.
OR
Adults or children (regardless of age, sex, or ethnicity/race) with acquired immunodeficiency and a possible, probable or proven invasive fungal infection (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer / Mycoses Study Group criteria).
OR
Adults or children (regardless of age, sex, or ethnicity/race) with a well-documented prior, unusual, severe, persistent, or treatment-refractory mucocutaneous or invasive fungal infection(s), who have clinically recovered from the fungal infection.
OR
Adults or children (regardless of age, sex, or ethnicity/race) with confirmed or suspected polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy (APECED) who have not yet developed CMC.
Ongoing care by a referring/primary care physician (inside or outside NIH).
Willing to allow storage of blood and tissue samples for future analyses.
Willing to allow genetic testing from blood, body fluids or tissue specimens.
Willing to have testing
Able to provide or be accompanied by a parent(s)/legal guardian(s) or legally authorized representative (LAR) who is able to provide informed consent.
No children under the age of 2 years will be seen at the Clinical Center, however they will be able to participate via mail-in specimens
Patient Relatives:
Individuals (regardless of age, sex, or ethnicity/race) who are genetically related to the patient (e.g., mother, father, siblings, children) may be recruited to establish the genetic origin of immune defects that may be identified in the study patients at the discretion of the PI. Relatives must meet all the following inclusion criteria in order to participate in this study:
Willing to allow storage of blood and tissue samples for future analyses.
Willing to allow genetic testing from blood, body fluids or tissue specimens.
Willing to have HIV testing
Able to provide informed consent or, if younger than 18, be accompanied by a parent(s)/legal guardian(s) who is able to provide informed consent.
Healthy Volunteers:
Healthy adults regardless of sex, and ethnicity/race between the ages of 18 and 85 years old may be eligible to participate in this study. Healthy volunteers must meet all the following inclusion criteria in order to participate in this study:
Willing to allow storage of blood and tissue samples for future analyses.
Willing to allow genetic testing from blood, body fluids or tissue specimens.
Willing to have HIV testing
Able to provide informed consent
NIH employees are eligible
EXCLUSION CRITERIA:
Patients:
A patient will not be eligible if he/she has any of the following:
Any condition which, in the investigator's opinion, may interfere with the evaluation of a co-existing abnormality of immunity that is the subject of study under this protocol.
Any condition which, in the investigator's opinion, places the patient at undue risk by participating in the study.
Unwillingness to undergo testing or procedures associated with this protocol.
of \< 7 gm/dL. If a patient is enrolled solely to obtain left-over pathology specimens, saliva, a buccal sample, skin swab, vaginal swab, or a stool sample, this exclusion criteria will not apply as there will be no blood withdrawal.
Patient Relatives:
A genetically related relative will not be eligible for this study if he/she has any condition which, in the investigator's opinion, may interfere with the evaluation of an immune system abnormality that is the subject of study under this protocol.
Healthy Volunteers:
A healthy volunteer will not be eligible if he/she has any of the following:
infection.
History of recurrent or severe infections.
History of an underlying or receipt of cancer chemotherapy within the past 5 years
Receipt of systemic or other systemic or immunomodulators within the past 30 days
Pregnancy or lactating
History of heart, lung, kidney disease, or bleeding disorders.
Any condition which, in the investigator's opinion, may interfere with the comparison of clinical specimens against those obtained from affected subjects.
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Relapsed: the illness came back after treatment had worked. Refractory: it did not respond to treatment, or stopped responding while still on it.
A condition in which the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, type 1 diabetes or inflammatory bowel disease.
Immunotherapy studies often leave out active autoimmune disease, and some name exceptions, such as thyroid disease on replacement hormone. Check the exceptions this study lists.
The human immunodeficiency virus, which weakens the immune system.
Many studies now accept people whose HIV is controlled on treatment, judged by the viral load and the CD4 count. Check the limits this study sets.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
The protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. A low level is anaemia, which can cause tiredness and breathlessness. Measured in g/dL or g/L (9 g/dL is 90 g/L).
Malignancy means cancer. Criteria about another or earlier malignancy ask whether you have had a different cancer, usually within a set number of years.
Some are commonly allowed, such as treated skin cancers other than melanoma and early cancers removed completely — check the exceptions this study lists.
Anti-inflammatory medicines such as prednisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone — not the anabolic steroids used for muscle.
Studies differ in what they allow: check which steroid medicines, routes (tablets, injections, creams, inhalers, eye drops) and doses this study accepts.
A weakened immune system. It can come from an illness, such as HIV or some blood cancers, or from medicines that turn the immune system down, for example after an organ transplant or for an autoimmune disease; steroids at higher doses count.
Read whether the line is about a condition or about medicines, and which medicines and doses it means.
Relapsed and refractory
Relapsed: the illness came back after treatment had worked. Refractory: it did not respond to treatment, or stopped responding while still on it.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Autoimmune disease
A condition in which the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, type 1 diabetes or inflammatory bowel disease.
Immunotherapy studies often leave out active autoimmune disease, and some name exceptions, such as thyroid disease on replacement hormone. Check the exceptions this study lists.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
HIV
The human immunodeficiency virus, which weakens the immune system.
Many studies now accept people whose HIV is controlled on treatment, judged by the viral load and the CD4 count. Check the limits this study sets.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Hemoglobin (Hb)
The protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. A low level is anaemia, which can cause tiredness and breathlessness. Measured in g/dL or g/L (9 g/dL is 90 g/L).
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Cancer (malignancy)
Malignancy means cancer. Criteria about another or earlier malignancy ask whether you have had a different cancer, usually within a set number of years.
Some are commonly allowed, such as treated skin cancers other than melanoma and early cancers removed completely — check the exceptions this study lists.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Corticosteroids (steroids)
Anti-inflammatory medicines such as prednisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone — not the anabolic steroids used for muscle.
Studies differ in what they allow: check which steroid medicines, routes (tablets, injections, creams, inhalers, eye drops) and doses this study accepts.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Immunosuppression
A weakened immune system. It can come from an illness, such as HIV or some blood cancers, or from medicines that turn the immune system down, for example after an organ transplant or for an autoimmune disease; steroids at higher doses count.
Read whether the line is about a condition or about medicines, and which medicines and doses it means.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Patients with or without inherited or acquired abnormalities of immune function manifesting mucocutaneous and/or invasive fungal infections
Immunological mechanisms of fungal susceptibility
Characterize and understand the immunological mechanism(s) by which inherited immunodeficiencies or acquired conditions increase susceptibility to mucocutaneous and invasive fungal infections.
Time frame: 25 years
Determine microbiologic test usefullness
Determine the usefulness of various microbiologic tests (e.g., cultures, serology, molecular assays) for diagnosis and follow-up of the course of fungal infections.
Time frame: 25 years
Determine immunological profile of mucosal fungal infections
Define the transcriptional profiles and perform proteomic and microbiome analyses of skin, oral and/or vaginal mucosa, and/or other tissues, and body fluids of patients with inherited or acquired conditions predisposing them to fungal infections.
Time frame: 25 years
Started Nov 2012 (actual).
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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