(1Æ3)-b-D glucan is a diagnostic and negative prognostic marker for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in patients with connective tissue disease

A. Shimizu, H. Oka, T. Matsuda¹, S. Ozaki

Division of Rheumatology and Allergy, Department of Internal Medicine, and ¹General Internal Medicine, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki, Japan.

ABSTRACT
Objective
To assess risk factors for P. carinii pneumonia (PCP) and compare the outcome of survivors and nonsurvivors in patients with various connective tissue diseases (CTD).

Methods
A retrospective study according to medical records recent 5 years was done to recruit patients with a definite diagnosis of PCP with CTD.

Results
Fifteen PCP patients were recruited, 10 women and 5 men (mean age: 54.4 ± 4.69 years). Positive cases of (1Æ3)-b-D-glucan (b-glucan) were 13 cases out of 15 (86.7%). There was a significant difference between survivors and nonsurvivors in hypoalbuminemia (p = 0.02), and high levels of b-glucan (p = 0.04).

Conclusion
These results suggested b-glucan could be a diagnostic and negative prognostic marker of PCP.

Key words
(1Æ3)-b-D glucan, Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, connective tissue disease.

Please address correspondence and reprints request to: Hiroshi Oka, MD, Division of Rheumatology and Allergy, Departments of Internal Medicine, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, 2-16-1 Sugao, Miyamae-ku, Kawasaki 216-8511, Japan.
E-mail: h2oka@marianna-u.ac.jp

Clin Exp Rheumatol 2005; 23: 678-680.
© CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL RHEUMATOLOGY 2005.