title: Usefulness of (1,3) ß-D-glucan detection in bronchoalveolar lavage samples in Pneumocystis pneumonia and Pneumocystis pulmonary colonization.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recent data demonstrate the usefulness of (1,3) ß-d-glucan (BG) detection in serum samples to distinguish patients developing Pneumocystis pneumonia and patients who are colonized by the fungus. In contrast, data of BG detection in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples from these patient populations are still rare.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this context, we determined BG levels in BAL samples from 11 Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) patients, 10 colonized patients, and 24 Pneumocystis-uninfected patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  BG levels were determined on each BAL sample using the Fungitell(®) kit (Associates of Cape Cod, Inc., Cape Cod, MA, USA) according to the manufacturer's instructions applied to serum sample examination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The BG levels in BAL samples from the PCP patient group (mean value 20 588 pg/mL) were significantly higher than those in the colonized patient group (mean value 105 pg/mL) (P=0.0001, Mann-Whitney test) and than those in the Pneumocystis-uninfected patient group (mean value 74 pg/mL) (P<0.0001, Mann-Whitney test). The BG levels in BAL samples from the colonized patient group did not differ significantly from those in the Pneumocystis-uninfected patients group (P=0.21).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that measurements of BAL BG levels may facilitate the differential diagnosis of PCP and pulmonary colonization with Pneumocystis.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de parasitologie et mycologie, centre hospitalier universitaire Amiens-Picardie, 80054 Amiens cedex, France; UMR-I 01, SFR CAP santé, UFR de médecine, université de Picardie Jules-Verne, 3, rue des Louvels, 80036 Amiens cedex 1, France.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Damiani
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de parasitologie et mycologie, centre hospitalier universitaire de Brest, boulevard Tanguy-Prigent, 29609 Brest cedex, France; UFR de médecine, LUBEM EA 3882, SFR 148, Brest, université européenne de Bretagne, université de Brest, 22, rue Camille-Desmoulins, 29200 Brest, France.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Le Gal
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de parasitologie et mycologie, centre hospitalier universitaire Amiens-Picardie, 80054 Amiens cedex, France; UMR-I 01, SFR CAP santé, UFR de médecine, université de Picardie Jules-Verne, 3, rue des Louvels, 80036 Amiens cedex 1, France.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Goin
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de parasitologie et mycologie, centre hospitalier universitaire Amiens-Picardie, 80054 Amiens cedex, France.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Di Pizio
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de parasitologie et mycologie, centre hospitalier universitaire Amiens-Picardie, 80054 Amiens cedex, France.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Da Costa
authors.affiliation: UFR de médecine, LUBEM EA 3882, SFR 148, Brest, université européenne de Bretagne, université de Brest, 22, rue Camille-Desmoulins, 29200 Brest, France.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Virmaux
authors.affiliation: UMR-I 01, SFR CAP santé, UFR de médecine, université de Picardie Jules-Verne, 3, rue des Louvels, 80036 Amiens cedex 1, France.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bach
authors.affiliation: UMR-I 01, SFR CAP santé, UFR de médecine, université de Picardie Jules-Verne, 3, rue des Louvels, 80036 Amiens cedex 1, France.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stéphan-Blanchard
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de parasitologie et mycologie, centre hospitalier universitaire de Brest, boulevard Tanguy-Prigent, 29609 Brest cedex, France; UFR de médecine, LUBEM EA 3882, SFR 148, Brest, université européenne de Bretagne, université de Brest, 22, rue Camille-Desmoulins, 29200 Brest, France.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nevez
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de parasitologie et mycologie, centre hospitalier universitaire Amiens-Picardie, 80054 Amiens cedex, France; UMR-I 01, SFR CAP santé, UFR de médecine, université de Picardie Jules-Verne, 3, rue des Louvels, 80036 Amiens cedex 1, France. Electronic address: totet.anne@chu-amiens.fr.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Totet
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000382:microbiology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D045363:Pneumocystis carinii / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011020:Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D055815:Young Adult; D047071:beta-Glucans / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D047071:beta-Glucans
keywords: (1,3) ß-d-glucan; (1,3) ß-d-glucane; Bronchoalveolar lavage samples; Colonisation pulmonaire; Lavage broncho-alvéolaire; Pneumocystis pneumonia; Pneumocystis pulmonary colonization; Pneumonie à Pneumocystis