Clinical evaluation of a (1,3)-beta-D-glucan assay for presumptive diagnosis of Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia in immunocompromised patients

Clin Vaccine Immunol. 2009 Oct;16(10):1524-6. doi: 10.1128/CVI.00276-09. Epub 2009 Aug 19.

Abstract

(1,3)-beta-d-Glucan (BG) is a component of the Pneumocystis jiroveci cell wall. Thirty-one immunocompromised patients with pneumonia (16 with presumptive pneumocystis pneumonia [PCP] and 15 with non-PCP) were evaluated for serum BG levels. Serum from all 16 presumptive PCP patients and from 2/15 patients with non-PCP was positive for BG. Results indicate that BG is a reliable marker for diagnosing PCP.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study

MeSH terms

  • Biomarkers / blood
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Cell Wall / chemistry
  • Humans
  • Immunocompromised Host
  • Pneumocystis carinii* / immunology
  • Pneumocystis carinii* / isolation & purification
  • Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / diagnosis*
  • Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / immunology
  • Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / microbiology
  • Proteoglycans
  • beta-Glucans / blood*

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Proteoglycans
  • beta-Glucans
  • polysaccharide-K