title: 1,3-β-D-Glucan contamination of common antimicrobials.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  1,3-β-D-Glucan (BDG) is a fungal cell wall constituent used in the diagnosis of invasive fungal infections. BDG testing, although endorsed by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer, suffers from limited specificity. False-positive results have been linked to haemodialysis membranes, blood products, antineoplastic agents and antimicrobial use.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to determine whether false-positive BDG results in the context of antimicrobial use are caused by BDG present in infusion solutions.
  
  
  METHODS
  We obtained 35 antimicrobial drugs (30 antibiotics and 5 antifungals) and analysed their BDG content using two different assays.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-five antimicrobials (20 antibiotics and all the tested antifungals) contained enough BDG to trigger a positive test. Depending on the substance, BDG varied between 9 and 2818 pg/mL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A majority of the available antimicrobial substances contained BDG, potentially limiting the utility of BDG testing in the context of prior exposure to these drugs. As the cumulative effects of repeated BDG exposure are unknown, efforts to reduce contamination should be considered.
authors.affiliation: Department I of Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany Centre for Integrated Oncology CIO KölnBonn, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany blasius.liss@uk-koeln.de.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liss
authors.affiliation: Department I of Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany Centre for Integrated Oncology CIO KölnBonn, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany Clinical Trials Centre Cologne, ZKS Köln, BMBF 01KN1106, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Bonn-Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: O A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Cornely
authors.affiliation: Wisplinghoff Laboratories, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.affiliation: German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Bonn-Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dimitriou
authors.affiliation: Wisplinghoff Laboratories, Cologne, Germany Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wisplinghoff
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000032:analysis; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000032:analysis*; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000032:analysis; D004340:Drug Contamination; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D007118:Immunoassay; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008033:Limulus Test; D019999:Pharmaceutical Solutions / Q000032:analysis; D011509:Proteoglycans; D047071:beta-Glucans / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D000935:Antifungal Agents; D019999:Pharmaceutical Solutions; D011509:Proteoglycans; D047071:beta-Glucans; C010770:polysaccharide-K