Abstract
Between December 8, 1984 and February 8, 1985, 47 patients with hematologic malignancies were studied for the relation between the serum D-arabinitol values and neutrophil counts. The incidence (13 cases, 87%) of neutropenia among 15 patients with high serum D-arabinitol concentrations and high D-arabinitol/creatinine ratios was high. One patient without neutropenia was diagnosed as adult T-cell leukemia. Five patients with neutropenia, fever refractory antibiotics and/or undergoing intensive induction chemotherapy were given antifungal agents. In 7 cases, when neutrophil counts increased, the D-arabinitol concentrations and creatinine ratios turned to normal range. Only 2 cases of 15 patients with neutropenia (less than 500/μl) showed normal D-arabinitol levels.
These results suggest that the determination of serum D-arabinitol concentration and its creatinine ratio may be helpful in the diagnosis of invasive candidiasis prior to the antifungal therapy, especially when the patient is treated with intensive induction chemotherapy or has severe neutropenia.
