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(13)--D-Glucan Assay
A Review of its Laboratory and Clinical Application
William F. Wright, DO, MPH, Sue B. Overman, MA, SM(ASCP), Julie A. Ribes, MD, PhD Lab Med. 2011;42(11):679-685.

Abstract and Introduction

Abstract

A new fungal surrogate marker, (13)--D glucan, offers a noninvasive method for the potential surveillance and diagnosis of invasive fungal infections. Invasive fungal infections have long been associated with significantly high morbidity and mortality on hematology-oncology wards and recipients of either solid-organ or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The diagnoses of invasive fungal infections have historically been made difficult by the need for invasive methods. (13)--D-glucan testing requires a minimally invasive sample that can be used to aid in the diagnosis of an invasive fungal infection as well as monitor the response to treatment. One disadvantage of (13)--D-glucan testing is that a positive test alone lacks sufficient sensitivity and specificity for a definitive diagnosis. While formal guidelines for the use of (13)--D-glucan testing are lacking, this chromogenic assay provides a new opportunity for testing at-risk populations. A review and recommendation for its laboratory and clinical application are provided. Glossary (13)--D-glucan: A polysaccharide component of the cell wall of most fungi pyrogen test. An assay used to determine if a pharmaceutical or medical device intended for human use will stimulate fever.
Introduction

Invasive fungal infections remain a significant problem in hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) and solid organ transplantation (SOT) recipients with changing epidemiologic patterns during the previous 2 decades.[1,2] Despite advances in technology and therapy, invasive fungal infections are still associated with significantly high morbidity and mortality.[3] Among SOT recipients, Candida and Aspergillus pathogens continue to be most often implicated as the cause of infections.[1] However, Aspergillus species and other filamentous molds, such as Fusarium, Scedosporium, and the Zygomycetes , are more commonly associated with invasive fungal infections in HSCT recipients.[2] Measurement of biologic markers, such as the galactomannan Aspergillus antigen and the fungal wall component (13)--D-glucan, offers a noninvasive method for the detection of invasive fungal infections. Historically, the diagnosis of invasive fungal infections has been made difficult by the need for tissue biopsies for cultures and histological examination.4 Furthermore, clinical and radiological findings do not have sufficient diagnostic sensitivity and specificity to be helpful. This review will discuss the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved fungal wall component (13)--D-glucan assay and its role as a surrogate marker for invasive fungal infections.

What Are -glucans?

Until recently, the cell wall of fungi has been viewed as an inert exoskeleton with the primary role to simply provide structure and support to the organism.[5] Based on cumulative data, the fungal cell wall is now viewed as a dynamic structure rather than an inert structure. In other words, the fungal cell wall is continuously undergoing the processes of assembly and remodeling during cell growth as a result of mechanical or chemical stresses.[6] The dynamic fungal cell wall functions as a protective barrier, providing structure and stability to the organism, as well as enabling the organism to penetrate or invade tissues.[5,6] The main structural constituents of the fungal cell wall are polysaccharides.[46] For the majority of fungi, the structural core polysaccharides are composed of

glucan, chitin, and mannan.[7] Glucan is the most important and abundant polysaccharide component of the cell wall of most fungi.[5] While the cell wall of yeast has been suggested to contain less glucan than filamentous molds, glucans are a major constituent of the cell wall of saprophytic and pathogenic fungi with the exception of Mucor, Rhizopus , Blastomyces dermatitidis , and Cryptococcus species.[4,79] The glucan component is predominantly composed of glucose polymers linked in a linear arrangement by carbons 1 and 3 through a glycosidic bond with a beta configuration (Figure 1) to form the (13)--D-glucan backbone.[7] The biosynthesis of this polysaccharide backbone involves the transportation of glucose subunits to the plasma membrane, where they are then transported across the plasma membrane and arranged by a linear (13) glycosidic bond.[5] The enzyme responsible for the formation of this polysaccharide backbone is (13)--D- glucan synthase.[47] The polysaccharide backbone is typically 1500 glucose subunits in length, but within each chain branching occurs with either a (14) or (16) glycosidic bond.[7] The branching assignments are highly variable and specific to the fungal species.

Figure 1. Schematic of (13) Glycosidic Bond.[5] While incorporated within the fungal cell wall (13)--D-glucan typically exists as an insoluble structure. In the presence of blood or other body fluids, (13)--D-glucan transforms into single helix, triple helix (most common), or random coil forms and are rendered soluble.[4,5,7] This soluble (13)--D-glucan may be capable of modulating the immune system by inhibiting leukocyte phagocytosis.[10] Details regarding the release and kinetics of soluble (13)--D-glucan in the systemic circulation or body fluids of patients with proven or probable invasive fungal infections is limited.[4]

Background of -glucan Detection

In 1956, a group from the Johns Hopkins Marine Biological Laboratory in Massachusetts observed an extensive clotting reaction when endotoxin was injected into the bloodstream of the North American Horseshoe Crab, Limulus polyphemus .[11] Later it was determined that mobile ameba-like cells, analogous to phagocytes, within the bloodstream of Limulus polyphemus contained factor C, which is responsible for initiating the clotting cascade called the limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL).[11] Factor C, a serine protease zymogen, is obtained by

separating amebocytes from the blue-colored plasma (hemolymph) followed by suspending the cells in distilled water, where they are then osmotically lysed.[1113] Prior to the discovery of LAL, approval of pharmaceutical or medical devices intended for human use required pyrogen testing using the United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) Pyrogen Test.[11] The solution or device was deemed pyrogenic (fever causing) and rejected if fever was observed in a rabbit exposed to these products. Following the discovery of the LAL, many pharmaceutical solutions or medical devices were tested for significant bacterial contamination using the classic pyrogen test and the new clotting pathway. In 1977, the FDA approved the use of the LAL as an alternative pyrogen test when evaluating the approval of intravenous pharmaceuticals or biological solutions and medical devices (eg, prosthetic heart valves or prosthetic orthopedic devices). In 1968, a carboxy-methylated beta-glucan that was being evaluated as an anti-tumor agent was observed to induce clotting with the LAL despite the absence of demonstratable bacterial contamination.[12] A second serine protease zymogen, Factor G, was subsequently determined to be the factor responsible for initiating the LAL clotting cascade by this beta-glucan determinant.[12,13] The assays developed specifically to measure fungal beta-glucan typically use serum and rely on the activation of the LAL clotting cascade as the biological principle of detection.[4,13] The beta-glucan LAL pathway is summarized in Figure 2.

Figure 2. Beta-Glucan Limulus Amebocyte Lysate Reaction.11 The following is a general description of the principles for the beta-glucan LAL pathway used in the serum (13)-- D-glucan assay. As mentioned, most of the soluble beta-glucan typically exist as triple-helix forms and require conversion to single-strand forms by exposing the serum sample to an alkaline reagent prior to the beta-glucan LAL reaction.[4] Additionally, the alkaline pre-treatment appears to reduce the chances of false-positive and false- negative reactions through the inactivation of serine proteases and serine protease inhibitors, both of which are normally found in human serum. Following pretreatment with the alkaline reagent, the beta-glucan LAL reaction is then initiated by the single-strand beta-glucan binding to the alpha-subunit of factor G, activating its serine protease subunit.[14] Activated factor G then converts a proclotting enzyme to an activated clotting enzyme.[11,14] This activated clotting enzyme then cleaves a chromogenic substance, p-nitroanilide, from a synthetic peptide in the beta-glucan LAL that has replaced the original clot-forming coagulogen protein. The chromogen, p-nitroanilide, is colorless when attached to a peptide but changes to a yellow color when cleaved from the synthetic peptide.[14] While the original LAL was based on observing the end-point of the gel clot formation, the beta-glucan LAL is a colorimetric assay and the end-point is based on determining the absorbance at 450 nm.[11,14] Finally, it has been observed that serum samples have an inherent yellow color that may alter the end-point absorbance (overestimate); therefore, 1 variation of the beta-glucan LAL determines the absorbance of the diazo derivative of p-nitroanilide, which is purple.[11]

What Are the Available Beta-glucan Assays?

Currently, 5 beta-glucan assays are available for use (): Fungitell (Associates of Cape Cod, East Falmouth, MA), Endosafe-PTS (Charles River Laboratories, Charleston, SC), Fungitec-G (Seikagaku Biobusiness, Tokyo, Japan), beta-Glucan Test (Waco Pure Chemical Industries, Osaka, Japan), and BGSTAR -Glucan Test (Maruha, Tokyo, Japan). The Endosafe-PTS and beta-Glucan Test kits are intended only for research purposes and not for the diagnosis of invasive fungal infection in clinical samples. Each kit intended for the in vitro diagnosis of an invasive fungal infection contains lyophilized horseshoe crab coagulation factor (factor G) and the chromogenic substrate p-nitroanilide (Boc-Leu-Gly-Arg-p-nitroanilide). Typically, 35 mL of blood is collected into a serum separator tube (SST) with the minimum amount of serum volume recommended being 0.5 mL for adults and 0.2 mL for pediatric patients. Following pretreatment of the sample with an alkaline solution, the reconstituted coagulation factor and chromogenic substrate are combined with the clinical serum sample and then incubated. Cleavage of p-nitroanilide from the chromogenic peptide produces the yellow color that is then measured spectrophotometrically. The general outline for the assay procedure is summarized in Figure 3. Blood samples that are lipemic, icteric, or hemolyzed should not be tested due to the inaccurate spectrophotometric values that can occur with these samples ().
Table 1. Available Beta-D-Glucan Assays

Kit Fungitell Endosafe-PTS glucan Fungitec G-MK -glucan test BGSTAR - glucan test

Manufacturer Associates of Cape Cod (U.S.) Charles River Laboratories (U.S.)

FDA Approved Yes No

Crab Species Limulus polyphemus (colormetric) Limulus polyphemus (colormetric) Tachypleus tridentalus (colormetric) Tachypleus tridentalus (turbidimetric) Tachypleus tridentalus (colormetric)

Cut-off Value 6080 pg/Ml 101000 pg/mL 20 pg/mL 11 pg/mL 11 pg/mL

Seikagaku Biobusiness (Japan) No Waco Pure Chemical Industries No (Japan) Maruha (Japan) No

Table 2. Sources of Error for the Beta-Glucan Assay

A. Assay Procedure 1. Mislabeled or unlabeled samples 2. Bacterial or fungal contaminated equipment 3. Non-calibrated spectrophotometer B. False-positive reactions 1. Concurrent bacteremia (most commonly Streptococcus species) 2. Hemodialysis cellulose membranes and filters 3. Immunoglobulin products (eg, IVIG) 4. Human serum (due to inherent yellow color) 5. Drugs such as Crestin, Lentinan, Schizophyllan, and Scleroglucan C. False-negative reactions 1. Lipemic blood samples

 2. Hemolyzed blood samples 3. Certain fungi that lack significant levels of (13)--D-glucan such as Zygomycetes, Cryptococcus neoformans, and Blastomyces dermatitidis.[4,79]

Figure 3. Summary of the beta-glucan assay procedure for Fungitell.[4,17] Two trials compared the performance of the original (13)--D-glucan assay, Fungitec-G, with the diagnosis of invasive fungal infections.[15,16] A large multicenter trial conducted by Obayashi and colleagues [15] demonstrated that serum beta-glucan testing is an effective approach to diagnosing invasive fungal infections. Microbiologically, the majority of documented fungal infections were Candida or Aspergillus species. In normal volunteers, the plasma concentration of (13)--D-glucan was found to be 10 pg/mL. The cut-off value defining a positive test result was established assay. Of the 179 patients enrolled in the trial, 119 patients had an underlying hematologic malignancy or hematologic disorder, and 41 of these patients had biopsy-verified invasive fungal infections. Of these 41 patients, 37 demonstrated serum (13)--D-glucan concentrations above the determined cut-off value. Overall, excellent performance was described with a sensitivity of 76% (31/41), specificity of 100% (135/161), positive predictive value (PPV) of 59% (37/63), and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 97% (135/139). Most of the false-positive results were attributed to concurrent bacteremia, use of hemodialysis, or treatment involving the use of human immunoglobulin products.[15,16] Investigators in the United States evaluated the performance of the beta-glucan assay Glucatell (now known as Fungitell) as a diagnostic adjunct for invasive fungal infections.[17] In a single-center trial conducted by Odabasi

and colleagues,[17] Glucatell was directly compared to the Fungitec-G assay for the detection of serum (13)--D- glucan. Although Glucatell used reagents from the North American Horseshoe Crab (Limulus polyphemus ) and was reported to be less reactive than the reagents from the Asian Horseshoe Crab (Tachypleus tridentatus ) used in the Fungitec-G assay, the 2 assays were equally efficacious in diagnosing invasive fungal infections. Values for the normal plasma concentration of serum (13)--D-glucan and the laboratory cut-off were determined from 30 healthy adults and 30 candidemic patients. Normal volunteers had an average of 17 pg/mL of the (13)--D- glucan in their samples, while the majority of patients with demonstrated invasive fungal disease had >60 pg/mL. Therefore, the definitive positive value was determined to be >80 pg/mL. Of the 283 neutropenic patients enrolled in the trial, 16 patients with a proven invasive fungal infection (ie, biopsy proven) and 4 patients with a possible invasive fungal infection demonstrated serum (13)--D-glucan concentrations above the determined cut-off value. The majority of proven fungal infections were attributed to Candida species. Overall, the authors described the performance of the assay, using 1 serum sample, with a sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 90%, positive- predictive value of 43%, and a negative-predictive value of 100%. Optimal sensitivity and specificity was reached if 2 positive test results on sequential specimens were used to reflect a true positive test result. Finally, as with the Fungitec-G assay, most false-positive reactions were attributed to concurrent bacteremia, use of hemodialysis, or treatment involving the use of certain human immunoglobulin products. Since 1976, all new medical devices requiring a premarket approval process are automatically referred to as a class III medical device (a device for which premarket approval is required) under the Medical Device Amendment.[18] Medical devices that have completed a premarket approval process and are deemed effective and safe for clinical use are then classified as a class II medical device (devices subject to special controls such as performance standards, post-market surveillance, patient regulations, or guidance documents).[18] In March 2004, the FDA filed a petition to automatically classify Glucatell in the Federal Registry as a class III device prior to the premarket approval process.[19] Upon review of the clinical trial data, the FDA reclassified Glucatell as a class II medical device in May 2004 for introduction into interstate commerce for commercial distribution as a serological reagent for the detection of (13)--D-glucan. Now known as Fungitell, this is the only FDA-approved device for the detection of serum (13)--D-glucan for use as an adjunct in the diagnosis of invasive fungal infections.

Discussion
Within the United States and elsewhere, a few trials have been conducted to demonstrate the usefulness of beta- glucan testing with the Fungitell assay in patients with hematologic malignancies at risk for invasive fungal infections.[2024] Unfortunately, comparative data with beta-glucan testing involving patients with solid-organ malignancies or solid-organ transplantation and invasive fungal infections have not been described. Data from 4 trials suggest that serum (13)--D-glucan testing is an effective pan-fungal marker to aid in the screening and diagnosis of invasive fungal infections ().[20,2224] A U.S. trial by Pickering and colleagues [23] used the recommended 80 pg/mL positive cut-off value in serum samples from 8 different patient groups for the diagnosis of an invasive fungal infection. They established the 6079 pg/mL as the indeterminate range for result reporting, with the negative range for the assay being below 60 pg/mL. When the serum samples were compared to samples from healthy blood donors, the overall sensitivity and specificity of the assay for the diagnosis of an invasive fungal infection using the 80 pg/mL cut-off value for positive was 93% and 72%, respectively. The authors concluded that the assay was primarily useful in excluding invasive fungal infections due to the high NPV (97.8%) and relatively high proportion of false-positive results (10%). False-positive results were attributed to concurrent bacteremia (most commonly Streptococcus pneumonia). False-negative results were attributed to lipemic or hemolyzed blood samples, as the elevated concentration of bilirubin and triglycerides are inhibitory to the assay. Ostrosky-Zeichner and colleagues [24] reviewed the literature to determine the optimal cut-off values to be used to define patients with positive results. Comparing the data from several centers, they found there was a large range of positive cut-off values being used (range, 40150 pg/mL). The lower the cut-off value used in each study, the higher the sensitivity of detecting true positive patients, but this lowered the overall level of specificity seen in these studies. Conversely, the higher the cut-off value, the lower the sensitivity and the higher the specificity of detection of patients with invasive fungal disease. They concluded that the optimal sensitivity and specificity for the assay fell between the 60 pg/mL and 80 pg/mL range that had been defined as indeterminate and positive test results. Optimal sensitivity and specificity of detection of invasive fungal infections was

achieved by repeating testing twice each week in the at-risk patient populations. False-positive results were attributed to the use of hemodialysis cellulose membranes, hemodialysis filters, and immunoglobulin products used in this patient population. Additionally, some drugs (eg, lentinan, crestin, scleroglucan, and schizophyllan) used in intensive care units all contain glucans that may cause false positive test results.
Table 3. Summary of Trials for the Fungitell Assay for the Diagnosis of an Invasive Fungal Infection Using 1 Serum Sample at the Various Cut-off Values

Trial Odabasi and colleagues[17] (>60 pg/mL) Pazos and colleagues[20] (>120 pg/mL) Racil and colleagues[22] (>60 pg/mL) Racil and colleagues[22] (>80 pg/mL)

Sensitivity Specificity 100% 87.5% 88.9% 88.9% 90.0% 89.6% 19.8% 32.6% 87.1% 92.4% 77.2%

PPV

NPV

43.0% 100% 70.0% 96.3% 10.4% 94.4% 12.1% 96.6% 83.8% 75.1% 89.0% 75.1% 51.9% 97.8%

Ostrosky-Zeichner and colleagues[24] (>60 pg/mL) 69.9% Ostrosky-Zeichner and colleagues[24] (>80 pg/mL) 64.4% Pickering and colleagues[23] (>60 pg/mL) 93.3%

Results from a prospective trial evaluating the usefulness of measuring serum (13)--D-glucan concentrations using a single serum sample and a determined cut-off value of >60 pg/mL as a screening test for the early diagnosis of an invasive fungal infection showed a sensitivity and specificity of 88.9% and 19.8%, respectively.[22] If the cut-off value was increased to 80 pg/mL, the sensitivity was 88.9% and the specificity was 32.6%. When 2 positive test results on sequential serum samples were required for definitive identification of positive patients, the sensitivity decreased by almost half while the specificity increased only marginally. Optimal test performance was found using the 80 pg/mL cut-off to define positives, and if no repeat positive test results on sequential specimens was required. Further, the authors of this trial agreed with Pickering and colleagues [23] that, due to the excellent NPV of the assay, the Fungitell assay serves best to identify those patients without invasive fungal infection rather than identifying those for whom infection has actually been detected. Finally, Pazos and colleagues [20] used a cut-off value of 120 pg/mL in 40 neutropenic patients using Fungitell as a screening assay with twice-weekly sampling and reported a sensitivity and specificity of 87.5% and 89.6%, respectively. Even with this exceedingly high cut-off value to define positive patients, these authors reported a false-positive rate of about 10%. Pazos and colleagues [20] and others [17] had observed that true positives were detected approximately 910 days prior to the onset of clinical manifestations of the invasive fungal disease. Although the majority of trials evaluating the usefulness of beta-glucan testing involve both Candida and Aspergillus species, 2 trials have compared data for the diagnosis of either invasive aspergillosis (IA) or Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP).[20,21] A European trial by Pazos and colleagues [20] prospectively enrolled 40 patients with hematologic malignancies and neutropenia to evaluate the contribution of measuring (1 3)--D-glucan concentrations to diagnose IA. Of the 40 patients, there were 5 proven IA, 3 probable IA, and 3 possible IA based on the definitions as outlined by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer/Invasive Fungal Infections Cooperative Group (EORTC-IFICG). Using a cut-off value of 120 pg/mL for the serum (13)--D-glucan concentration, the authors reported a sensitivity and specificity of 87.5% and 89.6%, respectively, for the diagnosis of IA. Using the combination of 2 noninvasive tests, the beta-glucan assay and the Aspergillus galactomannan antigen assay, the trial showed a sensitivity of 87.5% and specificity of 100% for the diagnosis of IA. While false-positive results occurred at a rate of 10.3%, the NPVs remained at 96.3%.[20] The authors noted that the (13)--D-glucan results were positive earlier than the galactomannan results, but that all of the patients who ultimately were found to have IA developed positive results using both assays. Results from Persat and colleagues [21] suggest that the Fungitell assay may be useful as a noninvasive test for PCP. Of 20 patients with proven PCP, all tested positive using the beta-glucan assay, most producing levels >500 pg/mL. The authors concluded that beta-glucan testing might be a useful noninvasive test for the diagnosis of pneumocystosis if these finding are confirmed in additional patient trials. Finally, beta-glucan testing might be useful in the diagnosis of other invasive fungal infections (eg, histoplasmosis) with the exception of Mucor,

Rhizopus , Blastomyces dermatitidis , and Cryptococcus species, but again, more trials are needed to confirm assay performance and to determine the role of this assay detecting infections with these pathogens.[8,9,15
17,20,24]

When looking at these studies together, optimizing beta-glucan test sensitivity and specificity depended on testing patients multiple times and using a cut-off value for positive of 80 pg/mL. The NPV and PPV depended on the prevalence of invasive fungal disease in the patient population, which for most of these studies was <10%, accounting for the vast variation in NPV and PPV seen in these studies.

Therapeutic Monitoring
Although the surveillance and diagnosis of invasive fungal infections with beta-glucan testing in high-risk patients seems logical, this surrogate fungal marker may also be useful for therapeutic monitoring.[20,25] This preemptive approach was evaluated by Pazos and colleagues [20] in 5 neutropenic patients with a proven diagnosis of IA receiving either amphotericin B and caspofungin or amphotericin B alone. With twice-weekly testing, patients who responded to therapy demonstrated a rapid decline in serum (13)--D-glucan concentrations by week 2 and eventually concentrations fell below the determined positive cut-off value by week 4. In contrast, a continuous increase in serum (13)--D-glucan concentrations was observed in those patients not responding to the initiation of antifungal treatment. Additionally, Kawagishi and colleagues [25] observed a rapid decline in serum (13)--D- glucan concentrations in a living-donor liver-transplant recipient receiving antimicrobial therapy for PCP. While these authors concluded that beta-glucan testing is useful in predicting therapeutic outcome, the frequency of monitoring and the role of this surrogate fungal marker in the management of patients with proven or suspected invasive fungal infections have not been fully established.[20,25]

Testing of Specimens Other Than Serum

An additional area of study warranting further investigation is the use of beta-glucan testing on specimens other than serum. One study published in Japanese[26] found high levels of beta-glucan in the pleural fluid of a patient with IA. This same study found that only a slight elevation of beta-glucan was seen in the cerebrospinal fluid from a patient with cryptococcal meningitis, likely reflecting the small amount of beta-glucan produced by this organism. The pleural and cerebrospinal fluids from patients with no fungal infections demonstrated beta-glucan levels below that seen in normal sera. Yasuoka and colleagues [27] demonstrated elevated levels of beta-glucan in the bronchoalveolar lavage specimens in mice experimentally infected with Pneumocystis carinii but not in the lavage specimens from uninfected mice. They confirmed these findings in humans with Pneumocystis pneumonia who demonstrated significantly higher concentrations of beta-glucan compared to the lavage specimens obtained from patients with other lung disorders. In a recent case report of a patient with Candida lusitaniae joint infection, beta-glucan testing demonstrated high concentrations corresponding to the positive cultures.[28] Studies in rabbits infected with Candida albicans to create an experimental model for hematogenous candidal meningoencephalitis found that 100% of the animals had demonstratable levels of beta-glucan in the cerebrospinal fluid.[29] In animals cleared of the infection, levels of beta-glucan in the cerebrospinal fluid decreased as a marker for response to therapy. Nakao and colleagues [30] assayed homogenized rat organs to determine the beta-glucan concentrations found in uninfected organs. Glucan was detected in large amounts in stool, and in lesser amounts in the small intestine and lung. The remaining organ homogenates tested (spleen, kidney, vessels, thymus, liver, and heart) all had very little detectible beta-glucan in the uninfected rat. These early studies using beta-glucan testing on specimens other than serum certainly warrant further investigation and validation before being widely applied for use in humans.

Summary
The advent, approval, and use of the serum (13)--D-glucan assay have changed the testing practices for patients at risk of developing or patients with invasive fungal infections. The current FDA-approved kit, Fungitell, is intended to be used for the detection of serum (13)--D-glucan as an aid in the diagnosis of invasive mycoses. The current guidelines of the Infectious Diseases Society of America for the management of candidiasis and aspergillosis recommend serum (13)--D-glucan testing to assist in the assessment of patients with suspected deep-seated fungal infections but offer no additional recommendations for the specific use of the

assay.31,32 However, to provide accurate testing results the laboratory must be proficient in the performance and quality control of the assay. In addition, physicians must be familiar with the limitations of the assay and use it appropriately in patient management. No proficiency test specimens are available commercially, so laboratories performing this assay must participate in an alternative proficiency testing program. While no formal guidelines for the use of (13)--D-glucan testing have been proposed, using current evidence, proposed testing recommendations are summarized in . The current evidence suggests that a negative test cannot fully rule out the diagnosis of an invasive fungal infection, while a positive test alone lacks sufficient sensitivity and specificity for a definitive diagnosis. The availability of a rapid, easy-to-perform assay to serve as a surrogate marker for fungal infections is being embraced for testing at-risk populations, but further trials are needed to determine the optimal extent and frequency of the testing that will ultimately be recommended. Further evaluation is also warranted to determine the usefulness of beta-glucan testing on specimens other than serum as markers for invasive fungal disease or response to therapy. LM
Table 4. Proposed Recommendations for the Use of the (13)--D-Glucan Assay

Testing should be used in conjunction with other methods for the diagnosis of invasive fungal infections Testing should precede antifungal therapy. Twice-weekly testing should be used for surveillance of infections in at-risk patients. Once-weekly testing should be used to assess the response to treatment. Positive test results should be confirmed with a second new specimen or repeated from the initial specimen prior to acceptance as a true positive. Further study is needed to determine the usefulness of testing on specimens other than serum.
References

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Abbreviations HSCT, hematopoietic stem cell transplant; SOT, solid organ transplantation; FDA, Food & Drug Administration; LAL, limulus amebocyte lysate; USP, United States Pharmacopoeia; SST, serum separator tube; NPV, negative predictive value; PPV, positive predictive value; PCP, Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia; IA, invasive Aspergillosis; EORTC-IFICG, European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer/Invasive Fungal Infections Cooperative Group Lab Med. 2011;42(11):679-685. 2011 American Society for Clinical Pathology