Comparison of isolated respiratory and extrarespiratory mucormycosis: a 21-year observational study of 44 cases.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to compare the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with isolated respiratory and extrarespiratory mucormycosis. METHODS: Adult patients diagnosed with proven or probable invasive mucormycosis in a tertiary hospital in South Korea, between 1999 and 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. We compared the clinical, mycological characteristics, and outcomes of patients with isolated respiratory mucormycosis (IRM) and those with extrarespiratory mucormycosis (ERM). RESULTS: A total of 44 patients including 32 (72%) with IRM, and 12 (27%) with ERM were enrolled. Of these, 38 (86%) were classified as proven and 6 (14%) as probable invasive mucormycosis according to the EORTC/MSG criteria. Univariate analysis exhibited that old age, surgery, and intensive care unit were associated with ERM, and multivariable analysis revealed that variable associated with ERM was intensive care unit (aOR 9.80; 95% CI 2.07-46.35; P = 0.004). There were no significant differences in 90-day mortality between patients with IRM and ERM (38% vs 50%, P = 0.45). In multivariable analysis, neutropenia (aOR 6.88; 95% CI 1.67-28.27; P = 0.01) was an independent risk factor for 90-day mortality. CONCLUSIONS: More than a quarter of patients with mucormycosis had extrarespiratory manifestations, especially in patients who were admitted to intensive care unit. The mortality of the patients with ERM was comparable to that of the patients with IRM, although the patients with ERM received ICU care more frequently.

Clinical Features and Risk Factors of Adrenal Insufficiency in Patients With Cancer Admitted to the Hospitalist-Managed Medical Unit.

BACKGROUND: The symptoms of adrenal insufficiency (AI) overlap with the common effects of advanced cancer and chemotherapy. Considering that AI may negatively affect the overall prognosis of cancer patients if not diagnosed in a timely manner, we analyzed the incidence, risk factors, and predictive methods of AI in cancer patients. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 184 adult patients with malignancy who underwent a rapid adrenocorticotrophic hormone stimulation test in the medical hospitalist units of a tertiary hospital. Their baseline characteristics and clinical features were evaluated, and the risk factors for AI were identified using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Of the study patients, 65 (35%) were diagnosed with AI, in whom general weakness (63%) was the most common symptom. Multivariate logistic regression showed that eosinophilia (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 4.28; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.10-16.63; P = 0.036), history of steroid use (aOR, 2.37; 95% CI, 1.10-5.15; P = 0.028), and history of megestrol acetate use (aOR, 2.71; 95% CI, 1.38-5.33; P = 0.004) were associated with AI. Baseline cortisol levels of 6.2 µg/dL and 12.85 µg/dL showed a specificity of 95.0% and 95.4% for AI diagnosis, respectively. CONCLUSION: AI was found in about one-third of patients with cancer who showed general symptoms that may be easily masked by cancer or chemotherapy, suggesting that clinical suspicion of AI is important while treating cancer patients. History of corticosteroids or megestrol acetate were risk factors for AI and eosinophilia was a pre-test predictor of AI. Baseline cortisol level appears to be a useful adjunct marker for AI.

Diagnostic performance of real-time polymerase chain reaction assay on blood for invasive aspergillosis and mucormycosis.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic usefulness of real-time (RT) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on blood samples for diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis and mucormycosis in patients with suspected invasive mould infection. METHODS: Adult patients with suspected invasive mould infection were prospectively enrolled at a tertiary referral hospital in Seoul, South Korea between 2017 and 2020. Standard tests for diagnosis of invasive mould infection and RT-PCR for Aspergillus, Mucor and Rhizopus using blood samples were performed. We evaluated the diagnostic performance of RT-PCR tests in patients diagnosed with proven and probable invasive aspergillosis or mucormycosis infection, according to the modified definitions of the EORTC/MSG 2019. RESULTS: A total of 102 patients with suspected invasive mould infection were enrolled. Of these patients, 46 (45%) were classified as having proven (n = 13) or probable (n = 33) invasive aspergillosis, 21 (21%) as proven (n = 17) or probable (n = 4) invasive mucormycosis and 18 (18%) as possible invasive mould infection. The remaining 13 (13%) were classified as not having invasive mould infection. Patients with possible invasive mould infection (n = 18) and coinfection of aspergillosis and mucormycosis (n = 4) were excluded from the final analysis. The sensitivity and specificity of the Aspergillus PCR were 54.3% ([25/46], 95% confidence interval [CI]: 40.2-67.9%) and 94.1% ([32/34], 95% CI: 80.9-98.4%), respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of the Mucor or Rhizopus PCR were 57.1% ([12/21], 95% CI: 36.6-75.5%) and 76.3% ([45/59], 95% CI: 64.0-85.3), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that blood PCR can be a useful adjunct test for diagnosing patients with suspected invasive mould infection.

Risk factors for mortality in patients with pulmonary mucormycosis.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary mucormycosis (PM) represents a serious burden in terms of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients. Studies of prognostic factors in patients with PM are limited and have involved small numbers of patients. METHODS: Adult patients diagnosed with proven and probable PM according to the modified definitions of the EORTC/MSG 2008 in a tertiary hospital in Seoul, South Korea, between 2008 and 2019 were retrospectively enrolled. RESULTS: A total of 49 patients including 31 (63%) with proven PM and 18 (37%) with probable PM were enrolled. The 90-day mortality rate was 49% (24/49). Neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, use of voriconazole at clinical suspicion, positivity of non-sterile culture, use of steroid and treatment without surgery were more common in fatal cases than non-fatal cases. Voriconazole use at clinical suspicion for invasive mould pneumonia (OR 6.91, P = .01) and prolonged neutropenia (OR 4.86, P = .03) were independent risk factors for mortality. Voriconazole use at clinical suspicion was associated with positive galactomannan (GM) assay (OR 5.93, P = .02) and history of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (OR, 6.88, P = .05). CONCLUSION: About half of the patients with PM died within 90 days of diagnosis, and fatal outcomes were common in patients with prolonged neutropenia and empirical voriconazole use. Caution is needed in using voriconazole even in patients with positive GM results and prior histories of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in whom PM cannot be ruled out by differential diagnosis.

Infectious Diseases Physician Workforce in Korea.

This study aimed to evaluate the infectious disease (ID) physician workforce in Korea. We investigated the acquisition of ID physicians from 1992 to 2019 with their current working place in the Health Care System. We defined ID physicians working at general or tertiary-care hospitals as active ID physicians. A total 275 physicians acquired ID as a sub-specialty. Among the 275, 242 were active ID physicians. The density of active ID physicians was 0.47 per 100,000 population. Of all the 17 administrative districts, 11 (64.7%) fell short of 0.47, and 131 medical institutions employed the service of ID physicians. The median number of beds per adult ID physician was 372 (interquartile range, 280-507). It is essential to secure human resources to respond to emerging infectious diseases and perform the inherent work of ID physicians.

Neurocysticercosis: Clinical Characteristics and Changes from 26 Years of Experience in an University Hospital in Korea.

The prevalence of human taeniasis has decreased in Korea. The stool egg positive proportion decreased from 1.9% in 1971 to 0% in 2004 in nationwide surveys. The neurocysticercosis (NCC) is also presumed to decrease. However, detailed information regarding the recent status of NCC in Korea is lacking. We retrospectively reviewed NCC cases from 1990 to 2016 at Asan Medical Center, a 2700-bed tertiary referral hospital in Korea. We identified patients based on clinical symptoms, brain imaging, pathology and serological assay. The cases were classified as parenchymal, extraparenchymal, and mixed NCC. Eighty-one patients were included in the analysis. The mean age was 54.5 years, and 79.0% were male. The number of NCC cases was highest from 1995 to 1999, and continuously decreased thereafter. Forty (49.4%) patients had parenchymal NCC, while 25 (30.9%) patients had extraparenchymal NCC, and 16 (19.8%) patients had mixed NCC. The seizure and headache were most common symptom of parenchymal NCC and extraparenchymal NCC respectively. Hydrocephalus was more common in extraparenchymal NCC, and patients with extraparenchymal NCC were more likely to require a ventriculoperitoneal shunt. Cases of NCC are decreasing accordingly with human taeniasis and lesion location was the most important determinant of clinical presentation and outcome of NCC in Korea.

Antibiotics use patterns in end-of-life cancer patients and medical staff's perception of antimicrobial stewardship programs.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: While most cancer patients with end-of-life (EOL) care receive antibiotic treatments, antibiotic use should be decided appropriately considering the benefits, side effects, resistance, and cost effects. Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASP) are important for patients with EOL care, but there is limited study analyzing actual antibiotic use in EOL care and the perceptions of Korean medical staff. METHODS: Electronic medical records of 149 deceased cancer patients hospitalized in the medical hospitalist units at Asan Medical Center in Seoul from May 2019 to September 2021 were reviewed. Basic information, antibiotic use, duration, and changes were investigated. We surveyed medical staff's perceptions of antibiotics in cancer patients with EOL. RESULTS: Of the 149 cancer patients with EOL care, 146 (98.0%) agreed with physician orders for life-sustaining treatment (POLST). In total, 143 (95.9%) received antibiotics, 110 (76.9%) received combination antibiotic treatment, and 116 (81.1%) were given antibiotics until the day of death. In a survey of 60 medical staff, 42 (70.0%) did not know about ASP, and 24 (40.0%) thought ASP was important in EOL care. Nineteen doctors (31.7%) discussed the use or discontinuation of antibiotics with patients or caregivers when writing POLST, but only 8 patients (5.6%) stopped antibiotics after POLST. CONCLUSION: Most cancer patients with EOL care continue to receive antibiotics until just before their death. A careful approach is needed, considering the benefits and side effects of antibiotic use, and the patient's right to self-decision. It is necessary to actively improve awareness of ASP and its importance for medical staff.

Promotion of healthcare personnel vaccinations among newly employed doctors and nurses: Evidence-guided strategy.

OBJECTIVE: Healthcare personnel vaccinations are important to prevent vaccine-preventable diseases in hospitals. We evaluated the seroprevalence, vaccination rates, and barriers to vaccination among newly employed nurses and doctors. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted at a university hospital in the Republic of Korea from 2017 to 2020. The immune status for hepatitis B virus (HBV), varicella zoster virus (VZV), and hepatitis A virus (HAV) was tested. HBV, VZV, measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccinations were mandatory. HAV and tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis (Tdap) vaccinations were also recommended by specialists. A web-based survey on factors affecting vaccination completion was conducted. RESULTS: For the 668 participants, the mean age was 26 ± 2 (±SD) years. Seroprevalence was 86% for HBV, 93% for VZV, and 59% for HAV. Vaccine completion rates were 40% for HBV, 70% for VZV, 65% for MMR, 42% for HAV, and 70% for Tdap. Overall compliance for mandatory vaccines was 54%. A total of 402 subjects who had worked for over one year were surveyed, with a 22% response rate. More than 50% of respondents gave the following reasons for not receiving recommend vaccines: 1) they were busy (77%), 2) vaccination process was complicated (68%), and 3) they simply forgot about vaccination (55%). Healthcare personnel agreed to be frequently informed of immunization requirements and for monitoring of vaccination rates. CONCLUSION: Vaccination compliance among newly employed doctors and nurses was 54%. Active interventions such as simplifying the vaccination process and frequent notifications are needed to achieve optimal immunization rates.

Risk factors for isolation of multi-drug resistant organisms in coronavirus disease 2019 pneumonia: A multicenter study.

OBJECTIVES: Superimposed multi-drug resistant organisms (MDROs) co-infection can be associated with worse outcomes in patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), even if these patients were managed with strict airborne and contact precautions. Identifying risk factors for isolation of MDROs is critical to COVID-19 treatment. METHODS: All eligible adult patients with confirmed COVID-19 pneumonia from 10 hospitals in the Republic of Korea between February 2020 and May 2020 were retrospectively enrolled. Using this cohort, epidemiology and risk factors for isolation of MDROs were evaluated. RESULTS: Of 152 patients, 47 with microbial culture results were included. Twenty isolates of MDROs from 13 (28%) patients were cultured. Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (5 isolates) was the most common MDRO, followed by methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (4 isolates). MDROs were mostly isolated from sputum samples (80%, 16/20). The median time from hospitalization to MDRO isolation was 28 days (interquartile range, 18-38 days). In-hospital mortality was higher in patients with MDRO isolation (62% vs 15%; P = .001). Use of systemic corticosteroids after diagnosis of COVID-19 (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 15.07; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.34-97.01; P = .004) and long-term care facility (LTCF) stay before diagnosis of COVID-19 (aOR: 6.09; 95% CI: 1.02-36.49; P = .048) were associated with MDRO isolation. CONCLUSIONS: MDROs were isolated from 28% of COVID-19 pneumonia patients with culture data and 8.6% of the entire cohort. Previous LTCF stay and adjunctive corticosteroid use were risk factors for the isolation of MDROs. Strict infection prevention strategies may be needed in these COVID-19 patients with risk factors.

Clinical Course and Molecular Viral Shedding Among Asymptomatic and Symptomatic Patients With SARS-CoV-2 Infection in a Community Treatment Center in the Republic of Korea.

IMPORTANCE: There is limited information about the clinical course and viral load in asymptomatic patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). OBJECTIVE: To quantitatively describe SARS-CoV-2 molecular viral shedding in asymptomatic and symptomatic patients. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A retrospective evaluation was conducted for a cohort of 303 symptomatic and asymptomatic patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection between March 6 and March 26, 2020. Participants were isolated in a community treatment center in Cheonan, Republic of Korea. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Epidemiologic, demographic, and laboratory data were collected and analyzed. Attending health care personnel carefully identified patients' symptoms during isolation. The decision to release an individual from isolation was based on the results of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay from upper respiratory tract specimens (nasopharynx and oropharynx swab) and lower respiratory tract specimens (sputum) for SARS-CoV-2. This testing was performed on days 8, 9, 15, and 16 of isolation. On days 10, 17, 18, and 19, RT-PCR assays from the upper or lower respiratory tract were performed at physician discretion. Cycle threshold (Ct) values in RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2 detection were determined in both asymptomatic and symptomatic patients. RESULTS: Of the 303 patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection, the median (interquartile range) age was 25 (22-36) years, and 201 (66.3%) were women. Only 12 (3.9%) patients had comorbidities (10 had hypertension, 1 had cancer, and 1 had asthma). Among the 303 patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection, 193 (63.7%) were symptomatic at the time of isolation. Of the 110 (36.3%) asymptomatic patients, 21 (19.1%) developed symptoms during isolation. The median (interquartile range) interval of time from detection of SARS-CoV-2 to symptom onset in presymptomatic patients was 15 (13-20) days. The proportions of participants with a negative conversion at day 14 and day 21 from diagnosis were 33.7% and 75.2%, respectively, in asymptomatic patients and 29.6% and 69.9%, respectively, in symptomatic patients (including presymptomatic patients). The median (SE) time from diagnosis to the first negative conversion was 17 (1.07) days for asymptomatic patients and 19.5 (0.63) days for symptomatic (including presymptomatic) patients (P = .07). The Ct values for the envelope (env) gene from lower respiratory tract specimens showed that viral loads in asymptomatic patients from diagnosis to discharge tended to decrease more slowly in the time interaction trend than those in symptomatic (including presymptomatic) patients (ß = -0.065 [SE, 0.023]; P = .005). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this cohort study of symptomatic and asymptomatic patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection who were isolated in a community treatment center in Cheonan, Republic of Korea, the Ct values in asymptomatic patients were similar to those in symptomatic patients. Isolation of asymptomatic patients may be necessary to control the spread of SARS-CoV-2.

Persistent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 detection after resolution of coronavirus disease 2019-associated symptoms/signs.

There are limited data on the duration of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA in respiratory specimens after resolution of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-associated symptoms/signs. We determined duration of SARS-CoV-2 virus shedding in symptomatic patients after remission of symptoms. We investigated the duration of SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection using real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction for SARS-CoV-2 in nasopharyngeal/oropharyngeal swabs or sputum or saliva. Six patients were included in the final analysis. The median (range) duration of SARS-CoV-2 viral detection after hospitalization was 34 days (22 to 67). After resolution of symptoms/signs, SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected for median (range) of 26 days (9 to 48). Among the six patients, one had persistent detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA until day 67 of hospitalization, which was 30 days after symptom resolution. This case represents the longest duration of SARS-CoV-2 detection, and highlights the need for long-term follow up of COVID-19 patients despite resolution of symptoms to confirm SARS-CoV-2 clearance.

A comparison of histomorphologic diagnosis with culture- and immunohistochemistry-based diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis and mucormycosis.

Background: Due to the low sensitivity of mould culture, clinicians usually depend on the histomorphologic diagnosis of invasive mould infection for empirical antifungal therapy. However, definite diagnosis is not always possible based on the mould morphology. We thus compared the histomorphologic diagnosis with immunohistochemistry (IHC)- and culture-based diagnosis.Methods: All adult patients who underwent tissue biopsy and in whom the histomorphologic diagnosis revealed invasive mould infection were enrolled at a tertiary hospital, Seoul, South Korea, between 1992 and 2014 (retrospectively) and 2015 and 2019 (prospectively). Their histomorphologic diagnoses were classified as two categories: (1) acute-angled branching, septate hyphae with parallel walls and a uniform width ('morphologic aspergillosis') and (2) right-angled branching pauciseptate, broader and ribbon-like hyphae with nonparallel walls ('morphologic mucormycosis').Results: A total of 113 patients were finally analysed and their histomorphologic diagnoses were classified as follows: 51 (45%) with morphologic aspergillosis, 62 (55%) with morphologic mucormycosis. Of the 51 patients with morphologic aspergillosis, 46 (90%) received the same diagnosis based on culture and/or IHC, and the remaining five (10%) gave positive IHC result for mucormycosis. Of the 62 patients with morphologic mucormycosis, 60 (97%) had the same diagnosis based on culture and/or IHC, and the remaining two (3%) yielded a positive aspergillus culture or a positive IHC result for aspergillosis, respectively.Conclusions: The majority of histomorphologic diagnoses appear to be consistent with definitive diagnoses based on sterile culture and IHC tests. However, about 10% of 'morphologic aspergillosis' diagnoses were mucormycosis cases.

Clinical and Microbiological Analysis of Risk Factors for Mortality in Patients With Carbapenem-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii Bacteremia.

BACKGROUND: Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) infection is associated with significant mortality, causing worldwide concern, yet there are limited data on contributing microbiological factors. This study aimed to identify the clinical and microbiologic risk factors for mortality in CRAB bacteremia. METHODS: Adult patients with monomicrobial CRAB bacteremia in a 2700-bed tertiary hospital between December 2012 and December 2018 were retrospectively enrolled. Risk factors for 30-day mortality were evaluated. All isolates collected on the first day of bacteremia were subjected to colistin susceptibility testing by broth microdilution and to genotyping by multilocus sequence typing. RESULTS: A total of 164 patients were enrolled, and 90 (55%) died within 30 days. The most common genotype among the isolates was ST191 (49%), and 12 isolates (7%) were resistant to colistin. Genotype, colistin minimum inhibitory concentration, and colistin resistance were not significantly associated with mortality, in contrast to several clinical factors. In multivariable analysis, ineradicable or not-eradicated focus (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 4.92; 95% CI, 1.95-12.42; P = .001), septic shock (aOR, 4.72; 95% CI, 2.12-10.49; P < .001), and inappropriate antimicrobial therapy (aOR, 2.54; 95% CI, 1.05-6.16; P = .04) were independent risk factors for mortality. Among antibiotic strategies, colistin combined with tigecycline or other antibiotics were significantly associated with lower mortality after adjustment for confounding factors. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical factors such as the nature of the infection source and source control, severity of bacteremia, and appropriateness of antibiotics, rather than microbiological factors, contribute to mortality in CRAB bacteremia. A specific antibiotic combination may help improve outcomes.

Risk factors and outcomes of patients with ocular involvement of candidemia.

BACKGROUND: Ocular involvement of candidemia can result in serious complications, including vision loss. This study investigated the risk factors for ocular involvement in patients with candidemia and the outcomes of treatment. METHODS: Episodes of candidemia in hospitalized adults who underwent ophthalmic examinations within 2 weeks of candidemia onset between January 2014 and May 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. Their demographic characteristics, antifungal treatments, and visual outcomes were evaluated. RESULTS: During the study period, 438 adults were diagnosed with candidemia, with 275 (62.8%) undergoing ophthalmic examinations within 2 weeks. Of these 275 patients, 59 (21.5%) had fundoscopic abnormalities suggestive of ocular involvement, including 51 with chorioretinitis and eight with Candida endophthalmitis. Eleven patients were symptomatic. Persistent candidemia (adjusted odd ratio [aOR], 2.55; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.29-5.08; P = 0.01), neutropenia during the preceding 2 weeks (aOR, 2.92; 95% CI, 1.14-7.53; P = 0.03), and C. albicans infection (aOR, 2.15; 95% CI, 1.09-4.24; P = 0.03) were independently associated with ocular involvement. Among the 24 patients with neutropenia, 41.7% had ocular involvements at the initial examination. Ophthalmologic examination even before the neutrophil recovery was positive in one-third of neutropenic patients. Out of the 37 patients in whom ocular outcomes after 6 weeks were available, 35 patients showed favorable or stable fundoscopic findings. Two patients had decreased visual acuity despite the stable fundoscopic finding. CONCLUSION: Neutropenia within two weeks of candidemia was a risk factor for ocular involvement. More than 80 percent of patients with ocular involvements were asymptomatic, emphasizing the importance of routine ophthalmic examinations. The median 6 weeks of systemic antifungal treatment resulted in favorable outcomes in 89.2% of patients.

Diagnostic usefulness of the QuantiFERON-TB gold in-tube test (QFT-GIT) for tuberculous vertebral osteomyelitis.

BACKGROUND: Interferon (IFN)-γ-releasing assay for diagnosing tuberculosis (TB) has shown promise; however, there are only a few reports on usefulness of the QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube test (QFT-GIT) for diagnosing TB vertebral osteomyelitis. METHODS: All patients presenting at a tertiary hospital between January 2010 and July 2016 with suspected TB vertebral osteomyelitis were retrospectively enrolled to evaluate the diagnostic performance of QFT-GIT. We used QFT-GIT to measure the IFN-γ response to ESAT-6, CFP-10 and TB7.7. RESULTS: A total of 141 patients were enrolled; 32 (23%) were categorized as having confirmed TB, (1%) as probable TB, 14 (10%) as possible TB and 93 (66%) as not TB. Of these, 16 patients with probable and possible TB were excluded from the final analysis. Chronic granulomas with/without necrosis, acid-fast bacilli stain, M. tuberculosis polymerase chain reaction and cultures for M. tuberculosis were positive in 14 (44%), 12 (38%), 22 (69%) and 28 (88%) patients, respectively, among the 32 patients with confirmed TB. The overall sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, likelihood ratio for a positive result, and likelihood ratio for a negative result of the QFT-GIT for TB vertebral osteomyelitis were 91% (95% confidence interval [CI], 75-98%), 65% (95% CI, 54-75%), 50% (95% CI, 42-58%), 95% (95% CI, 86-98%), 2.59 (95% CI, 1.89-3.55) and 0.14 (95% CI, 0.05-0.43), respectively. CONCLUSION: The QFT-GIT appears to be a useful adjunct test for diagnosing TB vertebral osteomyelitis because the negative test results may be useful for excluding a diagnosis of active TB vertebral osteomyelitis.

Diagnostic performance of the (1-3)-ß-D-glucan assay in patients with Pneumocystis jirovecii compared with those with candidiasis, aspergillosis, mucormycosis, and tuberculosis, and healthy volunteers.

BACKGROUND: Diagnosis of pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) relies on microscopic visualization of P. jirovecii, or detection of Pneumocystis DNA in respiratory specimens, which involves invasive procedures such as bronchoalveolar lavage. The (1-3)-ß-D-glucan (BG) assay has been proposed as a less invasive and less expensive diagnostic test to rule out PCP. We therefore compared blood levels of BG in patients with PCP with those of patients with candidemia, chronic disseminated candidiasis (CDC), invasive aspergillosis, mucormycosis, and tuberculosis and those of healthy volunteers. METHODS: Adult patients who were diagnosed with PCP, candidemia, CDC, invasive aspergillosis, mucormycosis, and tuberculosis whose blood samples were available, and healthy volunteers were enrolled in a tertiary hospital in Seoul, South Korea, during a 21-month period. The blood samples were assayed with the Goldstream Fungus (1-3)-ß-D-glucan test (Gold Mountain River Tech Development, Beijing, China). RESULTS: A total of 136 individuals including 50 patients P. jirovecii,15 candidemia, 6 CDC, 15 invasive aspergillosis, 10 mucormycosis, and 40 controls (20 TB and 20 healthy volunteers) were included. The mean±SD of the concentration of 1-3-ß-D-glucan in the patients with PCP (290.08 pg/mL±199.98) were similar to those of patients with candidemia (314.14 pg/mL±205.60, p = 0.90 at an α = 0.005) and CDC (129.74 pg/mL±182.79, p = 0.03 at an α = 0.005), but higher than those of patients with invasive aspergillosis (131.62 pg/mL±161.67, p = 0.002 at an α = 0.005), mucormycosis (95.08 pg/mL±146.80, p<0.001 at an α = 0.005), and tuberculosis (103.31 pg/mL±140.81, p<0.001 at an α = 0.005) as well as healthy volunteers (101.18 pg/mL±197.52, p<0.001 at an α = 0.005). At a cut-off value > 31.25 pg/mL, which is highly sensitive for PCP versus tuberculosis plus healthy volunteers at the expense of specificity, the BG assay had a sensitivity of 92% (95% CI 81%-98%) and a specificity of 55% (95% CI 39%-71%). CONCLUSIONS: The BG assay appears to be a useful adjunct test for PCP.