The usefulness of the Platelia Candida antigen in a patient with acute lymphocytic leukemia and chronic disseminated candidiasis.
We report a protracted course of disseminated candidiasis due to Candida tropicalis in a 17-year-old man with acute lymphocytic leukemia. Despite adequate antifungal therapy (amphotericin B), C. tropicalis was recovered from biopsy specimens 25 days (skin) and 109 days (kidney) after the first positive blood cultures. While blood cultures became negative for C. tropicalis 11 days after the initiation of treatment, mannanemia persisted and became negative only after 130 days of antifungal therapy. Thus, antigen assays provided indicators of antifungal response. Differential diagnosis was difficult for this patient with the observation of persistent lesions in image studies. With positive results of antigen assays, an invasive procedure might be avoided and preemptive antifungal treatment could be initiated in a timely manner. Anti-mannan antibody remained undetectable up to 164 days after first positive blood culture despite the patient's recovery from neutropenia and recruitment of neutrophils in the tissue (skin).
Sun
Hsin-Yun
HY
Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
Chiu
Yu-Shin
YS
Tang
Jih-Luh
JL
Wang
Jiun-Ling
JL
Chang
Shan-Chwen
SC
Chen
Yee-Chun
YC
D000293:Adolescent; D000908:Antibodies, Fungal / Q000097:blood; D000946:Antigens, Fungal / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D041022:Candida tropicalis / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007945:Leukemia, Lymphoid / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D008351:Mannans / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000150:complications
D000908:Antibodies, Fungal; D000946:Antigens, Fungal; D008351:Mannans