title: Urine antigen tests for the diagnosis of respiratory infections: legionellosis, histoplasmosis, pneumococcal pneumonia.
abstract: Urinary antigen testing has grown in popularity for several significant respiratory infections, particularly Legionella pneumophila, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Histoplasma capsulatum. By capitalizing on the concentration of shed antigen from a variety of pathogens in the kidneys for excretion in the urine, urinary antigen testing can be used to obtain rapid test results related to respiratory infection, independent of an invasive collection such as a bronchoalveolar lavage. This article describes the 3 aforementioned organisms, their role in respiratory disease, and the current status of urinary antigen testing in their respective diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: ARUP Laboratories, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Pathology, 500 Chipeta Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, USA; Department of Pathology, University of Utah School of Medicine, 15 North Medical Drive East, Suite #1100, Salt Lake City, UT, USA. Electronic address: marc.couturier@aruplab.com.
authors.forename: Marc Roger
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Couturier
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Utah School of Medicine, 15 North Medical Drive East, Suite #1100, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
authors.forename: Erin H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Graf
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Utah School of Medicine, 15 North Medical Drive East, Suite #1100, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
authors.forename: Allen T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Griffin
mesh_terms: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000652:urine*; D000946:Antigens, Fungal / Q000652:urine*; D006660:Histoplasmosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000652:urine*; D006801:Humans; D007876:Legionellosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000652:urine*; D008828:Microbiological Techniques; D011018:Pneumonia, Pneumococcal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000652:urine*; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000652:urine*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D000946:Antigens, Fungal
keywords: Histoplasma; Legionella; Streptococcus pneumoniae; Urine antigen tests