JCM Accepts, published online ahead of print on 21 October 2009

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J. Clin. Microbiol. doi:10.1128/JCM.01756-09
Copyright (c) 2009, American Society for Microbiology and/or the Listed Authors/Institutions. All Rights Reserved.

Serum (1-3)--D-glucan as a diagnostic tool for Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia in patients with HIV infection or hematological malignancy

Stefanie Desmet, Eric Van Wijngaerden, Johan Maertens, Jan Verhaegen, Eric Verbeken, Paul De Munter, Wouter Meersseman, Britt Van Meensel, Johan Van Eldere, and Katrien Lagrou^*

Departments of Medical Diagnostic Sciences, General Internal medicine, Hematology and Pathology, University Hospitals Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: katrien.lagrou{at}uz.kuleuven.be.

(1-3)--D-glucan (BG) reactivity was tested in serum samples from 28 patients with a HIV infection or a hematological malignancy and Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) and 28 control patients. Sensitivity and specificity of BG detection with the Fungitell assay for PCP were 100 and 96.4 % respectively using a cutoff value of 100 pg/mL. Serum BG testing looks promising in the non-invasive diagnosis of PCP. Our data suggest that a higher cutoff value for the diagnosis of PCP than for the diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis or candidiasis could be used safely and will improve the specificity of the test.