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Because Pneumocystis organisms cannot synthesize the molecule S-adenosylmethionine, they must scavenge it from their hosts. In a previous study, investigators found low plasma levels of S-adenosylmethionine in patients with Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia (PCP) and hypothesized that S-adenosylmethionine levels might be a useful marker for diagnosing this condition (ACC Jul 1 2003). To explore this possibility further, the same investigators have now conducted a prospective study among 56 HIV-infected patients who were admitted to the hospital with pneumonia: Half had PCP, and the other half had either bacterial pneumonia or pulmonary tuberculosis. The two groups were similar, except that patients with PCP had a lower mean CD4 count (33 vs. …