Diagnosis of invasive candidiasis in neutropenic children with cancer by determination of D-arabinitol/L-arabinitol ratios in urine

Summary, in English

Determination of D-arabinitol/L-arabinitol ratios (referred to as D/L-arabinitol ratios) in urine as a tool for the diagnosis of invasive candidiasis was investigated in a prospective study comprising 100 children with cancer. The analyses were made by gas chromatography. Positive D/L-arabinitol ratios were found for 10 of 10 children with confirmed invasive candidiasis, 12 of 23 patients undergoing empiric antifungal chemotherapy, and 4 of 67 children not receiving antifungal treatment. D/L-Arabinitol ratios were positive 3 to 31 days (median, 12 days) before the first culture-positive blood sample was drawn or empiric therapy was initiated. The regular monitoring of D/L-arabinitol ratios in urine holds great promise as a sensitive method for diagnosing invasive candidiasis in immunocompromised children with cancer. Moreover, it may be possible to use an early rise in D/L-arabinitol ratios as a basis for the institution of antifungal chemotherapy and as a means of avoiding unnecessary treatment with potentially toxic antifungal agents.

• Författare: Bertil Christensson; Thomas Wiebe; Christina Pehrson; Lennart Larsson
• Avdelning/ar: Infektionsmedicin; Pediatrik, Lund; Avdelningen för medicinsk mikrobiologi
• Publiceringsår: 1997
• Språk: Engelska
• Sidor: 636-640
• Publikation/Tidskrift/Serie: Journal of Clinical Microbiology
• Volym: 35
• Issue: 3
• Länkar: http://jcm.asm.org/cgi/reprint/35/3/636
• Dokumenttyp: Artikel i tidskrift
• Förlag: American Society for Microbiology
• Ämne: Microbiology in the medical area
• Status: Published
• ISBN/ISSN/Övrigt: ISSN: 1098-660X