Plasma (1-->3)-beta-D-glucan and fungal antigenemia in patients with candidemia, aspergillosis, and cryptococcosis.
(1-->3)-beta-D-Glucan is one of the major structural components of fungi, and it seems that it can be detected by the fractionated (1-->3)-beta-D-glucan-sensitive component from a Limulus lysate, factor G. We evaluated the concentration of (1-->3)-beta-D-glucan by using factor G and other fungal antigens in 24 patients with clinical evidence of mycosis and 36 healthy subjects. The mean concentration of (1-->3)-beta-D-glucan in the plasma of the healthy subjects was found to be 2.7 +/- 1.9 pg/ml (range, < 6.9 pg/ml), and it was found to be substantially higher in all 11 patients with candidemia (mean, 2,207.4 pg/ml; range, 325.4 to 8,449.0 pg/ml). Eight of those 11 patients with candidemia (73%) were positive for the Cand-Tec heat-labile candida antigen and only 3 patients (27%) were positive for mannan antigen. Three patients with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis were positive for galactomannan and had, in addition, high concentrations of (1-->3)-beta-D-glucan (mean, 323.3 pg/ml; range, 27.0 to 894.0 pg/ml). All 10 patients with cryptococcosis (including 2 patients with probable cryptococcosis) were positive for cryptococcal antigen by the Eiken latex test; however, (1-->3)-beta-D-glucan levels were not elevated in these patients (mean, 7.0 pg/ml; range, < 16.5 pg/ml). Our results indicated that (1-->3)-beta-D-glucan levels are elevated in patients with candidiasis and aspergillosis but not in those with cryptococcosis.
Miyazaki
T
T
Second Department of Internal Medicine, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, Japan.
Kohno
S
S
Mitsutake
K
K
Maesaki
S
S
Tanaka
K
K
Ishikawa
N
N
Hara
K
K
D000328:Adult; D000946:Antigens, Fungal / Q000097:blood*; D001228:Aspergillosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D003453:Cryptococcosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D016469:Fungemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000382:microbiology; D005690:Galactose / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D005936:Glucans / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008033:Limulus Test; D008297:Male; D008351:Mannans / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012698:Serologic Tests; D047071:beta-Glucans
D000946:Antigens, Fungal; D005936:Glucans; D008351:Mannans; D047071:beta-Glucans; C012990:galactomannan; C033363:beta-1,3-glucan; D005690:Galactose