title: PCR as a screening test for invasive aspergillosis in haematological patients: a pilot study.
abstract: Invasive aspergillosis is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients, particularly in individuals with haematological malignancy and in haematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients. Nowadays, the galactomannan (GM) assay has been widely used as an indication of invasive aspergillosis, even though the test is known to generate false-positive results. The aim of this study was to compare the performance of GM and real-time PCR (qPCR) to detected Aspergillus in blood samples obtained from high-risk haematological patients. Haematological patients were screened twice weekly with GM testing, which was performed by the Platelia ELISA kit. An additional sample of whole blood (4 ml) was obtained for the purpose of qPCR testing. Sixty-four samples from 12 patients with haematopoietic stem cell transplant or haematological malignancy were studied. The overall accordance between GM and qPCR tests was 96.9 % (62 samples). Only two samples showed contradictory results, with positive GM test and negative real-time PCR results. Based on the high concordance between GM and qPCR in terms of negative results, the main utility of qPCR could be in the confirmation of positive results seen with GM testing.
authors: Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors: Thomas Victor Maciel
authors: TV
authors: da Silva
authors: Lilian Carla
authors: LC
authors: Carneiro
authors: Francine dos Santos
authors: Fdos S
authors: Ramos
authors: Ludmila Fiorenzano
authors: LF
authors: Baethgen
authors: Alessandra Aparecida
authors: AA
authors: Paz
authors: Daniela Zilio
authors: DZ
authors: Larentis
authors: Liane Esteves
authors: LE
authors: Daudt
authors: Cintia
authors: C
authors: Tusset
authors: Leila Maria
authors: LM
authors: Lopes-Bezerra
authors: Alessandro C
authors: AC
authors: Pasqualotto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001228:Aspergillosis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001230:Aspergillus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D005690:Galactose / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D019337:Hematologic Neoplasms / Q000382:microbiology; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D008297:Male; D008351:Mannans / Q000032:analysis; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal; D008351:Mannans; C012990:galactomannan; D005690:Galactose