Positive galactomannan (GM) anti-genemias are included as a microbiological item in the diagnosis of probable or possible invasive aspergillosis (IA). Because false-positive GM results frequently occur, at least two positive results on two different samples are required. Waiting for clinical specimens can delay the initiation of treatment. As an alternative, we wondered whether detection of cir...

A beta-mannosidase was purified from Phlebia radiata grown in a medium containing wheat bran or galactomannan as a carbon source. Maximal activity was observed at pH 5.5 and at 50 degrees C. Highly purified isoforms of beta-mannosidase (GM-1, GM-2) isolated from media containing galactomanan and (OT-1) media with wheat bran were obtained by means of column chromatography on Q-Sepharose, SP-Seph...

Cross-reactivity of Fusarium species with serum galactomannan antigen (GMI) test has been observed. We sought to evaluate if GMI could help to early diagnose invasive fusariosis and to monitor treatment response. We reviewed the records of all patients with invasive fusariosis between 2008 and 2012 in three Brazilian hospitals. We selected patients who had at least 1 GMI test within 2 days befo...

The 2012 Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel members are: Chair, Wilma F. Bergfeld, M.D., F.A.C.P.; Donald V. Belsito, M.D.; Ronald A Hill, Ph.D.; Curtis D. Klaassen, Ph.D.; Daniel C. Liebler, Ph.D.; James G. Marks, Jr., M.D.; Ronald C. Shank, Ph.D.; Thomas J. Slaga, Ph.D.; and Paul W. Snyder, D.V.M., Ph.D. The CIR Director is F. Alan Andersen, Ph.D. This report was prepared by Wilbur Johns...

Galactomannan (GM) testing of urine specimens may provide important advantages, compared to serum testing, such as easy noninvasive sample collection. We evaluated a total of 632 serial urine samples from 71 patients with underlying hematological malignancies and found that the urine GM/creatinine ratio, i.e., (urine GM level × 100)/urine creatinine level, which takes urine dilution into accoun...

Aspergillus ochraceus is a rare pulmonary pathogen. A 39 year old male with COPD and chronic granulomatous disease presented with severe breathlessness and recurrent infections. CT scan demonstrated multiple pulmonary nodules diagnosed as chronic pulmonary aspergillosis. The patient's sputum grew Aspergillus ochraceus thrice over 6 months, alongside positive Aspergillus IgG and serum galactoman...

The detection of galactomannan (GM) in the serum of in immunocompromised patients is widely used for the early diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis. We report a case of a false-positive GM test presumably caused by the enteral nutritional supplement given to a non-neutropenic patient with intestinal graft-versus-host disease after a hematopoietic stem cell transplant. Clinicians should be alert ...

Chronic necrotizing pulmonary aspergillosis is characterized by a pulmonary infiltration with cavitation in patients with chronic pulmonary disease, slight immunodeficiency or healthy patients. A 57-year-old man with non-small cell carcinoma who has had radiotherapy was admitted with a history of left side pleuritic chest pain, non-productive cough, fever and dyspnea. Aspergillus fumigatus was ...

Nine of 11 hematological patients with disseminated/deep-seated Fusarium infection tested at least twice for Aspergillus galactomannan (GM) had repeated positive results in the absence of Aspergillus isolation in culture. The centrifuged supernatants of 12 Fusarium isolates were tested by a GM enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (EIA). All the isolates produced positive reactions when tested undi...