Interference of (1→3)-β-D-glucan Administration in the Measurement of Plasma (1→3)-β-D-glucan

抄録

  Objective  Blood (1→3)-β-D-glucan (βG) measurement is widely used as an effective sero-diagnostic method for deep-seated mycosis. Antitumor βG (lentinan, schizophyllan) administration is known as one of the false-positive factors of blood βG measurement. To understand the influence of administered βG preparation to βG measurement in blood, we compared the interfering effect of βG administration in different βG measuring methods.
  Methods  βG concentration in plasma was measured by three different methods.
  Materials  βG concentration was measured in plasma of 18 samples of 7 cases with βG administration and 86 samples without βG administration. The period after last βG administration was three days to three years.
  Results  In the cases for which βG was administered, blood βG level drastically increased using the method which employs alkaline pretreatment. Even in the cases for which βG was administered three years previously; βG value measured by alkaline pretreatment was significantly high. Thus, interference of βG administration in blood βG measurement continued for years after the last administration.
  Conclusion  Disparity in βG values measured by different methods for βG administered cases is due to differences among sample pretreatment methods. Conformation of administered βG seemed to be transformed into a sensitive form to factor G by alkaline pretreatment. Especially in the case of the alkaline pretreatment method, βG administration disturbance was much stronger than for dilution-heating pretreatment. Therefore, in suspected cases, it is important to pay attention to βG administration during the previous few years.