Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis Diagnosed Early by Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay

Sumio KAWAMURA; Shigefumi MAESAKI; Katsuhisa OMAGARI; Kohji HASHIGUCHI; Kazunori TOMONO; Takayoshi TASHIRO; Shigeru KOHNO

doi:10.2169/internalmedicine.38.744

Sumio KAWAMURA, Shigefumi MAESAKI, Katsuhisa OMAGARI, Kohji HASHIGUCHI, Kazunori TOMONO, Takayoshi TASHIRO, Shigeru KOHNO

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Keywords: serodiagnosis, Aspergillus fumigatus, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), galactomannan, prednizolone

JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

1999 Volume 38 Issue 9 Pages 744-746

DOI https://doi.org/10.2169/internalmedicine.38.744

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Abstract

We compared the usefulness of a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for the early diagnosis of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis with the serodiagnosis of sufficient concentrations of galactomannan using the same serum samples. A patient was treated with prednisolone for the management of hepatitis. Computed tomography (CT) scan of the chest showed the nodular shadow with a cavity containing a clear fungus ball. DNA of Aspergillus spp. from a serum sample was detected and using the same serum sample, both latex agglutination and sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) of galactomannan were negative. PCR assay provides an early diagnosis of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis compared with ELISA of galactomannan.
(Internal Medicine 38: 744-746, 1999)

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