Utility of (1-3)-β-D-glucan testing for diagnostics and monitoring response to treatment during the multistate outbreak of fungal meningitis and other infections.

ABSTRACT:

Background

 The 2012 outbreak of fungal meningitis associated with contaminated methylprednisolone produced by a compounding pharmacy has resulted in >750 infections. An important question facing patients and clinicians is the duration of antifungal therapy. We evaluated (1-3)-β-d-glucan (BDG) as a marker for monitoring response to treatment.

Methods

 We determined sensitivity and specificity of BDG testing using the Fungitell assay, by testing 41 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens from confirmed cases of fungal meningitis and 66 negative control CSF specimens. We also assessed whether BDG levels correlate with clinical status by using incident samples from 108 case patients with meningitis and 20 patients with serially collected CSF.

Results

 A cutoff value of 138 p

SUBMITTER: Litvintseva AP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4047277 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature