An Evaluation of the OLM ID Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction to Aid in the Diagnosis of Pneumonia.

Background: The use of the PCR to aid in the diagnosis of pneumonia (PcP) has demonstrated excellent clinical performance, as evidenced through various systematic reviews and meta-analyses, yet there are concerns over the interpretation of positive results due to the potential presence of colonization of the airways. While this can be overcome by applying designated positivity thresholds to PCR testing, the shear number of assays described limits the development of a universal threshold. Commercial assays provide the opportunity to overcome this problem, provided satisfactory performance is determined through large-scale, multi-centre evaluations.

An Evaluation of the OLM ID Real-Time PCR to Aid in the Diagnosis of Invasive Candidiasis When Testing Serum Samples.

Background: Treatment for invasive candidiasis (IC) is time-critical, and culture-based tests can limit clinical utility. Nonculture-based methods such as Candida PCR represent a promising approach to improving patient management but require further evaluation to understand their optimal role and incorporation into clinical algorithms. This study determined the performance of the commercially available OLM CandID real-time PCR when testing serum and developed a diagnostic algorithm for IC.

Incorporating the Detection of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms Associated With Invasive Aspergillosis Into the Clinic.

Exposure to fungi is inevitable, yet only a small number of patients with significant clinical risk develop invasive aspergillosis (IA). While timing of exposure in relation to immune status, environmental and occupational factors will influence the probability of developing IA, factors specific to the individual will likely play a role and variation in the host's genetic code associated with the immunological response to fungi have been linked to increased risk of developing IA. Screening for SNPs in genes significantly associated with IA (e.

Molecular Profiling Reveals Characteristic and Decisive Signatures in Patients after Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation Suffering from Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis.

Despite available diagnostic tests and recent advances, diagnosis of pulmonary invasive aspergillosis (IPA) remains challenging. We performed a longitudinal case-control pilot study to identify host-specific, novel, and immune-relevant molecular candidates indicating IPA in patients post allogeneic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT). Supported by differential gene expression analysis of six relevant in vitro studies, we conducted RNA sequencing of three alloSCT patients categorized as probable IPA cases and their matched controls without infection (66 samples in total).

Evaluation of the Performance of the Associates of Cape Cod STAT Assay for the Diagnosis of Invasive Fungal Disease in Critical-Care Patients with COVID-19.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been increasing reports of invasive fungal disease (IFD) in critical care, where rapid access to (1-3)-β-d-glucan (BDG) testing may have enhanced diagnosis. The potential benefit of rapidly accessible BDG results is limited by local availability of BDG testing, with low demand resulting in testing being performed in specialist centers. The recent release of the Associates of Cape Cod STAT assay provides a simple, low-throughput BDG platform, potentially increasing accessibility.

Molecular Diagnosis of Yeast Infections.

Purpose Of Review: The use of molecular tests to aid the diagnosis of invasive yeast infection, in particular invasive candidosis, has been described for over two decades, yet widespread application is limited, and diagnosis remains heavily dependent on classical microbiology. This article will review developments from the past decade in attempt to build on existing knowledge. It will highlight clinical performance and limitations while reviewing developments on recognized procedures; it will also provide insight into novel approaches incorporated in response to clinical demand (e.

Recent Advances and Novel Approaches in Laboratory-Based Diagnostic Mycology.

What was once just culture and microscopy the field of diagnostic mycology has significantly advanced in recent years and continues to incorporate novel assays and strategies to meet the changes in clinical demand. The emergence of widespread resistance to antifungal therapy has led to the development of a range of molecular tests that target mutations associated with phenotypic resistance, to complement classical susceptibility testing and initial applications of next-generation sequencing are being described. Lateral flow assays provide rapid results, with simplicity allowing the test to be performed outside specialist centres, potentially as point-of-care tests.

An Evaluation of the Performance of the IMMY Galactomannan Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay When Testing Serum To Aid in the Diagnosis of Invasive Aspergillosis.

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the performance of the recently released IMMY galactomannan enzyme immunoassay (IMMY GM-EIA) when testing serum samples and to identify the optimal galactomannan index (GMI) positivity threshold for the diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis (IA). This was a retrospective case/control study, comprising 175 serum samples obtained from 131 patients, 35 of whom had probable or possible invasive fungal disease (IFD) as categorized using recently revised, internationally accepted definitions. The IMMY GM-EIA was performed following the manufacturer's instructions.

The Presence of (1→3)-β-D-Glucan as Prognostic Marker in Patients After Major Abdominal Surgery.

Background: While the serological detection of (1→3)-β-D-glucan (BDG) can indicate invasive fungal disease (IFD), false positivity occurs. Nevertheless, the presence of BDG can still be recognized by the host's innate immune system and persistent BDG antigenemia, in the absence of IFD, can result in deleterious proinflammatory immune responses.

Methods: During the XXX (INTENSE) study into the preemptive use of micafungin to prevent invasive candidiasis (IC) after abdominal surgery, the serum burden of BDG was determined to aid diagnosis of IC.

A National Strategy to Diagnose Coronavirus Disease 2019-Associated Invasive Fungal Disease in the Intensive Care Unit.

Background: Fungal coinfection is a recognized complication of respiratory virus infections, increasing morbidity and mortality, but can be readily treated if diagnosed early. An increasing number of small studies describing aspergillosis in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients with severe respiratory distress are being reported, but comprehensive data are lacking. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence, risk factors, and impact of invasive fungal disease in adult COVID-19 patients with severe respiratory distress.

Evaluation of the Performance of the IMMY sona Galactomannan Lateral Flow Assay When Testing Serum To Aid in Diagnosis of Invasive Aspergillosis.

Management of invasive aspergillosis has been improved by biomarker assays, but limited accessibility and batch testing limit the impact. Lateral flow assays (LFA) are a simple method for use outside specialist centers, provided performance is acceptable. The objective of this study was to determine the performance of the recently released IMMY sona LFA when testing serum samples.

Therapy and Management of Infection.

The rates of pneumonia (PcP) are increasing in the HIV-negative susceptible population. Guidance for the prophylaxis and treatment of PcP in HIV, haematology, and solid-organ transplant (SOT) recipients is available, although for many other populations (e.g.

An evaluation of the performance of the Dynamiker® Fungus (1-3)-β-D-Glucan Assay to assist in the diagnosis of Pneumocystis pneumonia.

The Dynamiker® Fungus (1-3)-β-D-Glucan Assay (D-BDG) has recently become available in the Western Hemisphere for the diagnosis of invasive fungal disease (IFD). Evaluations of its performance for Pneumocystis pneumonia (PcP) are limited. A retrospective evaluation of D-BDG diagnosis of PcP was performed (23 PcP cases and 23 controls).

An evaluation of the performance of the Dynamiker® Fungus (1-3)-β-D-Glucan Assay to assist in the diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis, invasive candidiasis and Pneumocystis pneumonia.

Invasive fungal disease (IFD) can be caused by a range of pathogens. Conventional diagnosis has the capacity to detect most causes of IFD, but poor performance limits impact. The introduction of non-culture diagnostics, including the detection of (1-3)-β-D-Glucan (BDG), has shown promising performance for the detection of IFD in variety of clinical settings.