title: [Investigation of the cutoff value of a serum 1,3-beta-D-glucan assay for early diagnosis of invasive fungal infection in Chinese hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the significance of a serum 1,3-beta-D-glucan (BG) assay for early diagnosis of invasive fungal infection (IFI) and determine its cutoff value in Chinese post-hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum BG levels were measured twice weekly by Glucatell kit (G-Test) in 36 post-HSCT patients with suspected IFI. The sensitivities and specificities of the assay for clinical proven IFI and non-IFI patients were calculated retrospectively according to different G-Test positive criteria and determined its cutoff.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were 81.0%, 81.8%, 89.5% and 69.2% (P=0.002) respectively, as the cutoff value was set at more than 80 ng/L once or 60 ng/L consecutively twice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The cutoff value of G test in Chinese post HSCT patients basically is the same as specified in the instruction of the kit, and it is a quick and reliable method for early diagnosis of IFI.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Hematology and People's Hospital, Peking University, Beijing 100044, China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Xiao-jun
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009181:Mycoses / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011509:Proteoglycans; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D047071:beta-Glucans / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D011509:Proteoglycans; D047071:beta-Glucans; C010770:polysaccharide-K