Review
Microbiology
Malcolm A. Finkelman
Summary: (1 -> 3)-beta-glucan (BDG) testing has been used as an adjunct in the diagnosis of invasive fungal disease (IFD) for nearly three decades, showing high negative predictive value but potential false positives due to contamination and mucosal barrier injury. Understanding non-IFD causes of elevated circulating BDG, such as iatrogenic contamination and Nocardia sp. infection, can improve the planning and interpretation of BDG assays.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Yusuke Matsumoto, Yukiko Enomoto, Satoshi Kimura, Tadahisa Iwata
Summary: The study shows that 1,3-alpha-D-glucan and LMW-1,3-beta-D-glucan hydrogels can be compressed and recover their original shape, while HMW-1,3-beta-D-glucan hydrogels have better deformability and shape recovery.
CARBOHYDRATE POLYMERS
(2021)
Review
Immunology
Zongyao Chen, Yayun Jiang, Dengchao Wang, Mao Zheng, Xiao Liu, Chengliang Yuan
Summary: This case report describes a cutaneous alternariosis caused by Alternaria alternata, with strain identification using 5 molecular markers. It was observed that Alternaria infection resulted in an increase in the serum level of (1-3)-beta-D-glucan (BG) in the patients, which has not been previously reported in the literature.
MICROBIAL PATHOGENESIS
(2021)
Article
Critical Care Medicine
Frank Bloos, Juergen Held, Stefan Kluge, Philipp Simon, Klaus Kogelmann, Geraldine de Heer, Sven-Olaf Kuhn, Dominik Jarczak, Johann Motsch, Gunther Hempel, Norbert Weiler, Andreas Weyland, Matthias Druener, Matthias Gruendling, Patrick Meybohm, Daniel Richter, Ulrich Jaschinski, Onnen Moerer, Ulf Guenther, Dirk Schaedler, Raphael Weiss, Christian Putensen, Ixchel Castellanos, Oliver Kurzai, Peter Schlattmann, Oliver A. Cornely, Michael Bauer, Daniel Thomas-Rueddel
Summary: Serum BDG-guided antifungal treatment did not decrease the 28-day mortality of sepsis patients at high risk for invasive Candida infection, but it did shorten the duration of antifungal therapy.
INTENSIVE CARE MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Xuan Feng, Fan Li, Mingming Ding, Ran Zhang, Tongfei Shi, Yuyuan Lu, Wei Jiang
Summary: Through MD simulation and docking techniques, we investigated the recognition mechanism between bglc and Dectin-1, revealing the important roles of Trp221, His223, and Tyr228 in stabilizing the recognition complex and the clear preference of the recognition mode on the relative direction of triple-helix bglc.
CARBOHYDRATE POLYMERS
(2022)
Article
Immunology
P. Lewis White, Raquel Posso, Christian Parr, Jessica S. Price, Malcolm Finkelman, Rosemary A. Barnes
Summary: This study found that elevated or increasing levels of BDG in the patient's circulation after abdominal surgery are associated with significant morbidity and mortality, regardless of the presence of invasive candidiasis. Patients with IC and a BDG concentration >100 pg/mL had a higher mortality rate, while the use of micafungin did not impact the findings.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Laura Ferreras-Antolin, Nasreen Aziz, Adilia Warris
Summary: This study aimed to characterize the dynamics of serum BDG levels in neonates at high risk of NIC and determine the impact of clinical variables on these levels. The results showed that exposure to postnatal steroids and the use of a heel prick as sampling method were associated with higher BDG levels.
Article
Medical Laboratory Technology
Hani Susianti, Lydiana Parmadi, Novi Khila Firani, Ungky Agus Setyawan, Teguh Rahayu Sartono
Summary: The study revealed a significant correlation between serum Galactomannan and 1,3-β-D-glucan with CD4T cells and total lymphocyte count, suggesting their potential as promising biomarkers for detecting fungal infection.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL LABORATORY ANALYSIS
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Minoru Yoshida
Summary: The use of BDG testing for preemptive antifungal therapy plays a crucial role in the diagnosis and treatment of IFIs, providing equivalent prognosis to empirical therapy.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Mohanad M. Al-Obaidi, Parham Ayazi, Aishan Shi, Matthew Campanella, Elizabeth Connick, Tirdad T. Zangeneh
Summary: Coccidioidomycosis, a fungal infection endemic to the Southwestern United States, poses a significant threat to immunocompromised individuals. A retrospective study found that serology and (1 -> 3)-beta-D-glucan (BDG) tests have utility in diagnosing coccidioidomycosis, but there is a need for more effective diagnostic techniques.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Ewa Sajnaga, Katarzyna Socala, Agnieszka Kalwasinska, Piotr Wlaz, Adam Wasko, Monika Elzbieta Jach, Michal Tomczyk, Adrian Wiater
Summary: We examined the effect of alpha-(1 -> 3)-glucooligosaccharides (GOS) on gut microbiota composition. Mice were fed with GOS-supplemented diet for 21 days and fecal samples were collected at different time points. The results showed significant changes in the taxonomic composition of gut microbiota in GOS-supplemented mice, with an increase in Prevotella spp. and a decrease in Escherichia-Shigella. GOS appears to be a promising new prebiotic candidate.
Article
Immunology
Michael Saccente, Gayathri Krishnan
Summary: This study found that B-glucan was an unreliable marker for AIDS-related PCP in areas where histoplasmosis is common, as a high percentage of participants with respiratory symptoms had a positive B-glucan result.Attributing B-glucan positivity to PCP without further testing risks misdiagnosis.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Jingna Xun, Shuyan Guo, Yumin Xu, Rong Chen, Qi Tang, Xinyu Zhang, Danping Liu, Renfang Zhang, Yinzhong Shen, Li Liu, Jiangrong Wan, Jun Chen, Hongzhou Lu
Summary: This study assessed the association of plasma beta DG levels with inflammation and immune activation in people living with HIV (PLWH) and the effect of antiretroviral therapy (ART) on beta DG levels. The results showed that beta DG levels were positively correlated with immune activation markers and decreased significantly after 1 year of ART, suggesting it could serve as a biomarker of immune activation and efficacy monitoring in PLWH.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Ayasa Furuta, Momoka Ikegami, Tomoe Yaguchi, Hideyuki Ito, Koichi Tanaka, Katsuyoshi Nishinari, Yoko Nitta
Summary: In this study, the gel component of Sparassis crispa was extracted and analyzed by NMR. The gel component showed the same primary structure as schizophyllan or scleroglucan, with a main chain of beta-(1 -> 3)-linked glucose and every three residues containing a beta-(1 -> 6)-linked glucose. The beta-glucan gel fractured at a strain of approximately 60% in the concentration range of 1.8 to 2.0 wt % at 4 degrees C, indicating that beta-glucan above a critical molecular weight is required for gel formation.
FOOD HYDROCOLLOIDS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Luisa Burgmaier, Bernhard Illes, Michael Leiss, Meltem Avci-Adali, Johannes Reich
Summary: Containers have an impact on both endotoxin and (1->3)-β-D-glucan detection, and storage time and temperature also influence the detection of (1->3)-β-D-glucan. Polyethylene containers have the largest effect on the recovery of (1->3)-β-D-glucan.