Abstract
A study was performed to investigate the air quality of a haematopoietic SCT ward, colonization of the upper airways with Aspergillus spp. and the role of galactomannan (GM) ELISA testing in serum in the diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis (IA). In 102 allo-SCT recipients, two cases of IA (one proven and one probable) were seen. Of 2071 serum samples, 12 were positive, two in a patient with proven IA and 10 in patients without IA. Of the 2059 negative samples, 22 were taken from the patient with probable IA. Of the 245 environmental samples, 20 (8.2%) were positive for filamentous fungi. Aspergillus fumigatus was seen in 14 samples. A total of 657 oral and nasal swabs were taken. Seven nasal samples and one oral sample were positive for Aspergillus species (A. fumigatus 4, A. niger 4) in four patients, one of whom had probable IA. In summary, most environmental samples were negative, colonization of the oral and nasal cavities was rare and IA was diagnosed in only 2% of patients. The GM ELISA test remained negative in one of two patients with IA and does not seem useful in a population of patients with a low incidence of IA.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$259.00 per year
only $21.58 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Asano-Mori Y, Kanda Y, Oshima K, Kako S, Shinohara A, Nakasone H et al. False-positive Aspergillus galactomannan antigenaemia after haematopoietic stem cell transplantation. J Antimicrob Chemother 2008; 61: 411–416.
Grow WB, Moreb JS, Roque D, Manion K, Leather H, Reddy V et al. Late onset of invasive aspergillus infection in bone marrow transplant patients at a university hospital. Bone Marrow Transplant 2002; 29: 15–19.
Jantunen E, Ruutu P, Piilonen A, Volin L, Parkkali T, Ruutu T . Treatment and outcome of invasive Aspergillus infections in allogeneic BMT recipients. Bone Marrow Transplant 2000; 26: 759–762.
Marr KA, Carter RA, Boeckh M, Martin P, Corey L . Invasive aspergillosis in allogeneic stem cell transplant recipients: changes in epidemiology and risk factors. Blood 2002; 100: 4358–4366.
Morgan J, Wannemuehler KA, Marr KA, Hadley S, Kontoyiannis DP, Walsh TJ et al. Incidence of invasive aspergillosis following hematopoietic stem cell and solid organ transplantation: interim results of a prospective multicenter surveillance program. Med Mycol 2005; 43: S49–S58.
Rovira M, Jiménez M, De La Bellacasa JP, Mensa J, Rafel M, Ortega M et al. Detection of Aspergillus galactomannan by enzyme immunoabsorbent assay in recipients of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: a prospective study. Transplantation 2004; 77: 1260–1264.
Aisner J, Murillo J, Schimpff SC, Steere AC . Invasive aspergillosis in acute leukemia: correlation with nose cultures and antibiotic use. Ann Intern Med 1979; 90: 4–9.
Newman KA, Schimpff SC, Young VM, Wiernik PH . Lessons learned from surveillance cultures in patients with acute nonlymphocytic leukemia. Usefulness for epidemiologic, preventive and therapeutic research. Am J Med 1981; 70: 423–431.
Richardson MD, Rennie S, Marshall I, Morgan MG, Murphy JA, Shankland GS et al. Fungal surveillance of an open haematology ward. J Hosp Infect 2000; 45: 288–292.
Bénet T, Nicolle MC, Thiebaut A, Piens MA, Nicolini FE, Thomas X et al. Reduction of invasive aspergillosis incidence among immunocompromised patients after control of environmental exposure. Clin Infect Dis 2007; 45: 682–686.
Falvey DG, Streifel AJ . Ten-year air sample analysis of Aspergillus prevalence in a university hospital. J Hosp Infect 2007; 67: 35–41.
Leenders ACAP, van Belkum A, Behrendt M, Luijendijk AD, Verbrugh HA . Density and molecular epidemiology of Aspegillus in air and relationship to outbreaks of Aspergillus infection. J Clin Microbiol 1999; 37: 1752–1757.
Kawazu M, Kanda Y, Nannya Y, Aoki K, Kurokawa M, Chiba S et al. Prospective comparison of the diagnostic potential of real-time PCR, double-sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for galactomannan, and a (1–3)-beta-D-glucan test in weekly screening for invasive aspergillosis in patients with hematological disorders. J Clin Microbiol 2004; 42: 2733–2741.
Maertens J, Verhaegen J, Demuynck H, Brock P, Verhoef G, Vandenberghe P et al. Autopsy-controlled prospective evaluation of serial screening for circulating galactomannan by a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for hematological patients at risk for invasive Aspergillosis. J Clin Microbiol 1999; 37: 3223–3228.
Stynen D, Goris A, Sarfati J, Latge JP . A new sensitive sandwhich enzyme-linked immonusorbent assay to detect galactofuran in patients with invasive aspergillosis. J Clin Microbiol 1995; 33: 497–500.
De Pauw B, Walsh TJ, Donnelly JP, Stevens DA, Edwards JE, Calandra T et al. Revised definitions of invasive fungal disease from the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer/Invasive Fungal Infections Cooperative Group and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Mycoses Study Group (EORTC/MSG) Consensus Group. Clin Infect Dis 2008; 46: 1813–1821.
Herbrecht R, Letscher-Bru V, Oprea C, Lioure B, Waller J, Campos F et al. Aspergillus galactomannan detection in the diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis in cancer patients. J Clin Oncol 2002; 20: 1898–1906.
Maertens J, Theunissen K, Verbeken E, Lagrou K, Verhaegen J, Boogaerts M et al. Prospective clinical evaluation of lower cut-offs for galactomannan detection in adult neutropenic cancer patients and haematological stem cell transplant recipients. Br J Haematol 2004; 126: 852–860.
Bart-Delabesse E, Basile M, Al Jijakli A, Souville D, Gay F, Philippe B et al. Detection of Aspergillus galactomannan antigenemia to determine biological and clinical implications of beta-lactam treatments. J Clin Microbiol 2005; 43: 5214–5220.
Hamaki T, Kami M, Kanda Y, Miyakoshi S, Ueyama J, Morinaga S et al. False-positive results of Aspergillus enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in a patient with chronic graft-versus-host disease after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation [letter]. Bone Marrow Transplant 2001; 28: 633–634.
Marr KA, Laverdiere M, Gugel A, Leisenring W . Antifungal therapy decreases sensitivity of the Aspergillus galactomannan enzyme immunoassay. Clin Infect Dis 2005; 40: 1762–1769.
Racil Z, Kocmanova I, Lengerova M, Winterova J, Mayer J . Intravenous PLASMA-LYTE as a major cause of false-positive results of platelia Aspergillus test for galactomannan detection in serum. J Clin Microbiol 2007; 45: 3141–3142.
Sulahian A, Touratier S, Ribaud P . False positive test for aspergillus antigenemia related to concomitant administration of piperacillin and tazobactam. N Engl J Med 2003; 349: 2366–2367.
Surmont I, Stockman W . Gluconate-containing intravenous solutions: another cause of false-positive galactomannan assay reactivity [letter]. J Clin Microbiol 2007; 45: 1373.
Casper J, Knauf W, Kiefer T, Wolff D, Steiner B, Hammer U et al. Treosulfan and fludarabine: a new toxicity-reduced conditioning regimen for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Blood 2004; 103: 725–731.
Ruutu T, Volin L, Parkkali T, Juvonen E, Elonen E . Cyclosporine, methotrexate, and methylprednisolone compared with cyclosporine and methotrexate for the prevention of graft-versus-host disease in bone marrow transplantation from HLA-identical sibling donor: a prospective randomized study. Blood 2000; 96: 2391–2398.
Evans EGV, Richrdson MD (eds) Medical Mycology: A Practical Approach. IRL Press at Oxford University Press: Oxford, 1989.
Sherertz RJ, Belani A, Kramer BS, Elfenbein GJ, Weiner RS, Sullivan ML et al. Impact of air filtration on nosocomial Aspergillus infections. Unique risk of bone marrow transplant recipients. Am J Med 1987; 83: 709–717.
Nihtinen A, Anttila VJ, Richardson M, Meri T, Volin L, Ruutu T . The utility of intensified environmental surveillance for pathogenic moulds in a stem cell transplantation ward during construction work to monitor the efficacy of HEPA filtration. Bone Marrow Transplant 2007; 40: 457–460.
Martino P, Raccah R, Gentile G, Venditti M, Girmenia C, Mandelli F . Aspergillus colonization of the nose and pulmonary aspergillosis in neutropneia patients: a retrospective study. Haematologica 1989; 74: 263–265.
Foy PC, van Burik JAH, Weisdorf DJ . Galactomannan antigen enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant 2007; 13: 440–443.
Maertens J, Van Eldere J, Verhaegen J, Verbeken E, Verschakelen J, Boogaerts M . Use of circulating galactomannan screening for early diagnosis of invasive Aspergillosis in allogeneic stem cell recipients. J Infect Dis 2002; 186: 1297–1306.
Marr KA, Balajee SA, McLaughlin L, Tabouret M, Bentsen C, Walsh TJ . Detection of galactomannan antigenemia by enzyme immunoassay for the diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis: variables that affect performance. J Infect Dis 2004; 190: 641–649.
Acknowledgements
We thank research nurses Anne Gesterberg, Suvi Mantere and Marja Pekkanen for their contribution to this study. This study was supported in part by Helsinki University Central Hospital Research Funds, Blood Disease Research Foundation, Swedish Orphan AB and Gilead Sciences, Europe.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Nihtinen, A., Anttila, VJ., Richardson, M. et al. Invasive Aspergillus infections in allo-SCT recipients: environmental sampling, nasal and oral colonization and galactomannan testing. Bone Marrow Transplant 45, 333–338 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/bmt.2009.169
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/bmt.2009.169