title: Baseline correlation and comparative kinetics of cerebrospinal fluid colony-forming unit counts and antigen titers in cryptococcal meningitis.
abstract: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cryptococcal colony-forming unit counts and CSF cryptococcal antigen titers serve as alternative measures of organism load in cryptococcal meningitis. For these measures, we correlated baseline values and rates of decline during the first 2 weeks of therapy in 68 human immunodeficiency virus--seropositive patients with cryptococcal meningitis. At baseline, there was a strong correlation between CSF cryptococcal colony-forming unit counts and CSF cryptococcal antigen titers. During the first 2 weeks of therapy, CSF cryptococcal colony-forming unit counts decreased by >5 logs, and CSF cryptococcal antigen titers decreased by 1.5 dilutions. In individual patients, there was no correlation between the rate of decline in CSF cryptococcal colony-forming unit counts and that in CSF cryptococcal antigen titers.
authors: Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors: Annemarie E
authors: AE
authors: Brouwer
authors: Paprit
authors: P
authors: Teparrukkul
authors: Supraphada
authors: S
authors: Pinpraphaporn
authors: Robert A
authors: RA
authors: Larsen
authors: Wirongrong
authors: W
authors: Chierakul
authors: Sharon
authors: S
authors: Peacock
authors: Nicholas
authors: N
authors: Day
authors: Nicholas J
authors: NJ
authors: White
authors: Thomas S
authors: TS
authors: Harrison
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000946:Antigens, Fungal / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003454:Cryptococcus / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D016919:Meningitis, Cryptococcal / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D000946:Antigens, Fungal