title: Kinetics of serum β-D-glucan after Pneumocystis pneumonia treatment in patients with AIDS.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Serum β-D-glucan has been demonstrated as a reliable, adjunct diagnostic marker for PCP, but its kinetics after PCP treatment are poorly understood. To evaluate the correlation between the levels of β-D-glucan and the clinical response, we investigated the individual transition of serum β-D-glucan levels after the initiation of PCP treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventeen PCP patients with AIDS who were admitted to our hospital were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All subjects showed the serum β-D-glucan levels above the cut-off value, and the median level was 224 pg/mL [IQR: 78-597] at the time of PCP diagnosis. There were no correlations between serum β-D-glucan levels and CRP, LDH, or AaDO(2) at room air. Although there was a downward trend in serum β-D-glucan level as PCP treatment was initiated, a significant number of subjects showed a marked increase in the serum β-D-glucan levels despite their evident clinical improvement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The serum β-D-glucan level does not reflect the severity and prognosis of PCP infection, and thus it may not be suitable for monitoring the response to treatment.
authors: International Research Center for Infectious Diseases, the Institute of Medical Science, the University of Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Michiko
authors: M
authors: Koga
authors: Tomohiko
authors: T
authors: Koibuchi
authors: Tadashi
authors: T
authors: Kikuchi
authors: Hitomi
authors: H
authors: Nakamura
authors: Toshiyuki
authors: T
authors: Miura
authors: Aikichi
authors: A
authors: Iwamoto
authors: Takeshi
authors: T
authors: Fujii
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy*; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D045363:Pneumocystis carinii; D011020:Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D047071:beta-Glucans / Q000097:blood* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D047071:beta-Glucans