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PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
5
pubmed:dateCreated
2009-4-3
pubmed:abstractText
Deep mycosis (aspergillus pneumonia (AsP)) and carinii pneumonitis (PCP) are complications of immunosuppressive treatment for antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV). The objective was to clarify the clinical significance of plasma titer of antibody against beta-glucans (anti-BG antibody) as a predictor of complications such as AsP or PCP and the prognosis of patients. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure the plasma titer of antibodies against beta-glucans (BG) from Candida albicans in 22 healthy subjects and 52 patients with various stages of AAV. The mean plasma titer of the anti-BG antibody was 2,677 +/- 1,686 U in healthy subjects, 691 +/- 522 U in patients with untreated active vasculitis (n = 14), and 547 +/- 416 U in patients soon after immunosuppressive treatment (n = 24). Healthy subjects had significantly higher antibody titers than the other two groups (P < 0.05). Repeated measurements over the clinical course of AAV revealed an increase during remission to 1,180 +/- 130 U (n = 11), while there was a significant rapid decrease to 369 +/- 441 U (P < 0.01) concomitantly with elevation in plasma C-reactive protein and BG levels in patients with AAV that had AsP or PCP infection. Antifungal therapy resulted in a rapid rise of anti-BG antibody titer. Experiments in mice suggested that the anti-BG antibody neutralizes BG. Rapid decrease of the anti-BG antibody titer may be a useful indicator for diagnosis of the presence of AsP or PCP and for estimating the prognosis of patients with these opportunistic infections during immunosuppressive treatment of AAV.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
May
pubmed:issn
1434-9949
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Electronic
pubmed:volume
28
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
565-71
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2009
pubmed:articleTitle
Rapid decrease of anti-beta-glucan antibody as an indicator for early diagnosis of carinii pneumonitis and deep mycotic infections following immunosuppressive therapy in antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis.
pubmed:affiliation
Renal Unit of the Department of Internal Medicine, Hachioji Medical Center of Tokyo Medical University, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan. myoshida@tokyo-med.ac.jp
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't