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  • Letter to the Editor
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Standardization of Aspergillus PCR diagnosis

Bone Marrow Transplantation volume 47, pages 299–300 (2012)Cite this article

Blennow and Mattsson1 recently concluded in a reply to Meije et al.2 that standardization of Aspergillus PCR diagnosis is needed. We agree with this, which is why we set up a Working Group of the International Society of Human and Animal Mycology, known as the European Aspergillus PCR initiative (EAPCRI) (http://www.eapcri.eu). This group has forged ahead, developing the necessary framework for establishing standards.3

Meije et al.2 demonstrated that DNAemia was detected persistently for several weeks before the development of six cases of invasive aspergillosis (IA): one proven and five probable cases. Indeed DNAemia was found to be a very early marker of IA, being detected on an average of 21 days before signs were apparent on high-resolution computed tomography and 68 days before galactomannan was first detected. By contrast, Blennow et al.4 monitored a series of allogeneic hematopoietic SCT recipients who had undergone reduced-intensity conditioning for fungal PCR and found no association between IA and DNAaemia.

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References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Wuerzburg University Hospital, Medizinische Klinik II, Wuerzburg, Germany

    J Loeffler

  2. Department of Infection, School of Medicine, Immunity and Biochemistry, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK

    R Barnes

  3. Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

    J P Donnelly

Authors
  1. J Loeffler
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  2. R Barnes
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  3. J P Donnelly
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on behalf of the European Aspergillus PCR Initiative

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Correspondence to J Loeffler.

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The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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All named authors have agreed to its submission. It is not currently being considered for publication by another journal. If the paper is accepted it will not subsequently be published in the same or similar form in any language without the consent of publishers.

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Loeffler, J., Barnes, R., Donnelly, J. et al. Standardization of Aspergillus PCR diagnosis. Bone Marrow Transplant 47, 299–300 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/bmt.2011.58

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