(1-->3)-beta-D glucan is a diagnostic and negative prognostic marker for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in patients with connective tissue disease.
OBJECTIVE
To assess risk factors for P. carinii pneumonia (PCP) and compare the outcome of survivors and nonsurvivors in patients with various connective tissue diseases (CTD).


METHODS
A retrospective study according to medical records recent 5 years was done to recruit patients with a definite diagnosis of PCP with CTD.


RESULTS
Fifteen PCP patients were recruited, 10 women and 5 men (mean age: 54.4 +/- 4.69 years). Positive cases of (1-->3)-beta-D-glucan (beta-glucan) were 13 cases out of 15 (86.7%). There was a significant difference between survivors and nonsurvivors in hypoalbuminemia (p = 0.02), and high levels of beta-glucan (p = 0.04).


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggested beta-glucan could be a diagnostic and negative prognostic marker of PCP.
Shimizu
A
A
Division of Rheumatology and Allergy, Department of Internal Medicine, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki, Japan.
Oka
H
H
Matsuda
T
T
Ozaki
S
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D003240:Connective Tissue Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011020:Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D047071:beta-Glucans / Q000097:blood*
D015415:Biomarkers; D047071:beta-Glucans; C033363:beta-1,3-glucan