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Early diagnosis and therapy is critical to the management of patients with invasive fungal disease (IFD). Although diagnosis has been based on culture or microscopy, antigen-based assays to detect (1→3)-β-D-glucan (BG) and Aspergillus galactomannan recently became available. Both rely on identification of polysaccharides associated with the cell wall of fungal pathogens. Now, two research groups have examined the performance and usefulness of these assays in patients at risk for IFD.
Koo and colleagues retrospectively reviewed the results of 1308 serum BG assays performed for 871 patients. For patients tested more than once, the results of the first BG test were used. A BG level ≥80 pg/mL had a sensitivity of 64% and a specificity of 84% for…