Biomarkers for invasive aspergillosis: the challenges continue.
The incidence of invasive aspergillosis (IA), an opportunistic infection in immunocompromised individuals, is rising, but its early diagnosis remains challenging and treatment options are limited. Hence there is an urgent need to improve existing diagnostic procedures as well as develop novel approaches. The clinical usefulness of galactomannan and β-d-glucan, widely used assays detecting cell-wall antigens of Aspergillus, is unclear and depends on clinicians' awareness of their practical limitations. This leaves room for new methods that utilise genomic, proteomic and metabolomics approaches as well as novel detection procedures, for example point-of-care lateral-flow devices. Each of these strategies has its own limitations and it is likely that a combination of methods will be required to achieve optimal performance for the diagnosis of IA and subsequent appropriate patient management.
Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
Gemma
G
Johnson
Arianna
A
Ferrini
Stephen K
SK
Dolan
Tania
T
Nolan
Samir
S
Agrawal
Sean
S
Doyle
Stephen A
SA
Bustin
D001228:Aspergillosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis*; D001944:Breath Tests; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D005936:Glucans / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000032:analysis; D017262:Siderophores / Q000032:analysis; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization
D015415:Biomarkers; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D005936:Glucans; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S; D017262:Siderophores