A Negative (1,3)-β-D-Glucan Result Alone Is Not Sufficient to Rule Out a Diagnosis of Pneumocystis Pneumonia in Patients With Hematological Malignancies.

ABSTRACT: Background: Serum (1,3)-β-D-glucan (BG) testing is increasingly being used in the diagnostic armamentarium for invasive fungal diseases. Given its high sensitivity, some studies suggest that a negative BG result contributes to rule out a diagnosis of Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP). However, recent reports described a suboptimal sensitivity in HIV-negative immunocompromised patients. In this study, we evaluated the performance of BG assay for PCP diagnosis in HIV-negative patients with diverse PCP risk factors. We also assessed the correlation between Pneumocystis jirovecii load in pulmonary samples and serum BG levels. Methods: We retrospectively included HIV-negative patients with microscopically proven PCP and for whom a BG result was available. We also enrolled

SUBMITTER: Damiani C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8386019 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature