Invasive aspergillosis in two liver transplant recipients: diagnosis by SeptiFast

Abstract

We report the clinical features, diagnosis, and monitoring findings of invasive aspergillosis (IA) in 2 liver transplant recipients. Blood/serum samples and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluids were analyzed by a novel commercial polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay (SeptiFast) and an Aspergillus galactomannan (GM) enzyme-linked immunoassay (EIA). The diagnosis of IA could be performed in <6 h with the detection of Aspergillus fumigatus DNA in blood and BAL fluid. High GM values (mean: 9.1, range: 7.3-10.8) in serum and BAL fluid confirmed the SeptiFast result. Follow-up of the SeptiFast findings and GM index correlated with the clinical course. The molecular detection of A. fumigatus-specific DNA and GM test in blood/serum and BAL samples appears to be a useful tool for prompt diagnosis of IA. Further prospective clinical trials are necessary to evaluate the accuracy of SeptiFast and the GM test in diagnosing IA.