title: Polymerase chain reaction-based assays for the diagnosis of invasive fungal infections.
abstract: Currently accepted fungal diagnostic techniques, such as culture, biopsy, and serology, lack rapidity and efficiency. Newer diagnostic methods, such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assays, have the potential to improve fungal diagnostics in a faster, more sensitive, and specific manner. Preliminary data indicate that, when PCR-based fungal diagnostic assays guide antifungal therapy, they may lower patient mortality and decrease unnecessary antifungal treatment, improving treatment-associated costs and avoiding toxicity. Moreover, newer PCR techniques can identify antifungal resistance DNA loci, but the clinical correlation between those loci and clinical failure has to be studied further. In addition, future studies need to focus on the implementation of PCR techniques in clinical decision making and on combining them with other diagnostic tests. A consensus on the standardization of PCR techniques, along with validation from large prospective studies, is necessary to allow widespread adoption of these assays.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Infectious Disease Division, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston 02214, USA.
authors.forename: Themistoklis K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Kourkoumpetis
authors.forename: Beth Burgwyn
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.forename: Jeffrey J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Coleman
authors.forename: Athanasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Desalermos
authors.forename: Eleftherios
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mylonakis
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000235:genetics; D025141:Drug Resistance, Fungal / Q000235:genetics; D005658:Fungi / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D009181:Mycoses / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D004271:DNA, Fungal