(1-->3) beta-D-glucan as a quantitative serological marker for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia.
We detected (1 --> 3) beta-D-glucan (beta-glucan), which is one of the major components of the cyst wall of Pneumocystis carinii, in sera obtained from patients with P. carinii pneumonia (PCP). We confirmed that beta-glucan was detectable by a beta-glucan detection kit (G test; Seikagaku Corporation) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALFs). The mean concentration of beta-glucan in BALFs obtained from specific-pathogen-free nude mice infected with P. carinii (n = 7; mean, 2,631 [range, 1,031 to 9,095] pg/ml) was significantly higher (P < 0.001) than that in uninfected, specific-pathogen-free mice (n = 7; 6.5 [range, 4.0 to 8.3] pg/ml). The mean level of beta-glucan in BALFs from PCP patients was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than that in BALFs from patients with other lung diseases (7,268 [range, 1,355 to 15,500] pg/ml [n = 4] versus 242.5 [17 to 615] pg/ml [n = 4]). In sera from six of seven patients with PCP, significant levels of beta-glucan (494.1 [8.5 to 1,135] pg/ml) were detected, while it was undetectable in patients with other lung diseases and in a control group. In five patients at follow-up, the level of beta-glucan decreased with clinical improvement. These results suggest that beta-glucan is detectable in sera from patients with PCP and it is a practical serological marker for monitoring of the disease during treatment.
Yasuoka
A
A
Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Tokyo, Japan. yasuoka@ims.u-tokyo.ac.jp
Tachikawa
N
N
Shimada
K
K
Kimura
S
S
Oka
S
S
D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005936:Glucans / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D011020:Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D047071:beta-Glucans
D015415:Biomarkers; D005936:Glucans; D047071:beta-Glucans; C033363:beta-1,3-glucan