Current Fungal Infection Reports

, Volume 6, Issue 3, pp 192–197 | Cite as

Biomarkers for Diagnosis and Follow-Up of Invasive Candidiasis: A Brief Review of the ECIL Recommendations

  • Małgorzata Mikulska
  • Elisa Furfaro
  • Claudio Viscoli
Advances in Diagnosis of Invasive Fungal Infections (U Binder and A Groll, Section Editors)
First Online:

Abstract

The main biomarkers for rapid and non-invasive diagnosis of invasive candidiasis include 1,3-beta-D-glucan (BG), mannan antigen (Mn), anti-mannan antibodies (A-Mn) and various molecular methods. BG, Mn and A-Mn assays are standardized, and data on BG are the most extensive. For haematology and oncology population, its performance is characterised by suboptimal sensitivity but excellent specificity. For these populations, the experts from the third European Conference on Infections in Leukemia (ECIL-3) recommended BG for detection of invasive fungal infections with grading BII, and combined Mn/A-Mn detection for the diagnosis of candidemia and hepatosplenic candidiasis, with grading CII and BIII, respectively. While very promising, PCR lacks standardization and thus could not be formally recommended. There is limited and contradictory data on the performance of BG for the monitoring of outcome in patients with invasive candidiasis, although a trend of decline or increase of BG levels was found to be associated with, respectively, a successful response or failure.

Keywords

Candida Hepatosplenic candidiasis Candidemia Non-albicans Mannan Anti-mannan (1,3)-beta-D-glucan Outcome Mortality Markers Pre-emptive therapy 
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Notes

Disclosure

MM has served on advisory boards for MSD and Pfizer. CV has served on speakers' bureaus and on advisory boards for Astellas, Gilead, MSD and Pfizer. EF has nothing to declare.

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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2012

Authors and Affiliations

  • Małgorzata Mikulska
    • 1
  • Elisa Furfaro
    • 1
  • Claudio Viscoli
    • 1
  1. 1.Division of Infectious Diseases, San Martino University HospitalUniversity of GenoaGenoaItaly

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