Abstract
Factor G, a coagulation proenzyme of the Japanese horseshoe crab (Tachypleus tridentatus), is extremely sensitive to (1→3)-β-D-glucan, which is a characteristic cell-wall constituent of fungi. Using this factor and by a digestion study with (1→3)-β-D-glucan, we showed that blood from patients with deep m ycosis contains the glucan. It was detected in 39 out of 41 fungal febrile episodes (sensitivity 90%), but in none of the 59 nonfungal febrile episodes (specificity 100%).
Full Text
The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (159.7 KB).
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Obayashi T., Yoshida M., Mori T., Goto H., Yasuoka A., Iwasaki H., Teshima H., Kohno S., Horiuchi A., Ito A. Plasma (1-->3)-beta-D-glucan measurement in diagnosis of invasive deep mycosis and fungal febrile episodes. Lancet. 1995 Jan 7;345(8941):17–20. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(95)91152-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]