20 August 2026
: Case report 
Paradoxical Role of Glucocorticoids in Severe Pneumocystis jirovecii Pneumonia Among Renal Transplant Recipients: Case Series
Unusual or unexpected effect of treatment
Xiao-Yun Li ABCDEF 1,2, Wen-Xuan Yu ABCDEF 1,2, Xiang-Ru Chen ABCDEF 1,2, Yao Nie ADEF 1,2, Yong-Jun Liu BCDEF 1,2*DOI: 10.12659/AJCR.952853
Am J Case Rep 2026; 27:e952853
Table 2 Laboratory findings at intensive care unit admission and imaging characteristics.
| Laboratory tests | All patients (N = 7) |
|---|---|
| Leukocyte count (× 10/L) | 10.5 (3.2–15.0) |
| Lymphocyte count (× 10/L) | 0.3 (0.1–1.0) |
| C-reactive protein (mg/L) | 117.5 (31.1–207.8) |
| Procalcitonin (ng/mL) | 0.6 (0.2–1.5) |
| Albumin (g/L) | 27 (22–34) |
| Lactate dehydrogenase (U/L) | 442 (202–620) |
| Serum creatinine (μmol/L) | 192 (89–572) |
| eGFR (mL/min/1.73 m) | 26.0 (7.9–69.2) |
| BDG (pg/mL) | 143.5 (37.5–899.9) |
| GM (μg/L) | 0.2 (0.1–0.3) |
| PJ read count | 3718 (230–28753) |
| pH | 7.4 (7.1–7.5) |
| PaCO (mm Hg) | 49.5 (33.0–62.0) |
| PaO (mm Hg) | 55 (37–95) |
| PaO/FiO (mm Hg) | 80 (37–190) |
| CMV co-infection | 4 (57.1%) |
| Computed tomography findings | |
| Diffuse ground-grass opacities | 7 (100%) |
| Air bronchogram | 1 (14.3%) |
| Pleural effusion | 1 (14.3%) |
| Data are presented as median (range) or n (%). Abbreviations: BDG, 1,3-β-D-glucan; CMV, cytomegalovirus; eGFR, estimated glomerular filtration rate; FiO, fraction of inspired oxygen; GM, galactomannan; PaCO, partial pressure of arterial carbon dioxide; PaO, partial pressure of arterial oxygen; PJ read count, metagenomic next-generation sequencing read count for . | |