Diagnostic value of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cryptococcal antigen-lateral flow immunochromatographic assay for pulmonary cryptococcosis in non-HIV patients

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic value of cryptococcal antigen-lateral flow immunochromatographic assay (CrAg-LFA) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of patients with pulmonary cryptococcosis (PC).

Methods: A total of 308 patients were divided into the PC group (n = 72) and the non-PC group (n = 236). The clinical data, pathogen detection, radiological imaging, and the detection of the cryptococcal antigen in blood and BALF samples were analyzed.

Results: The sensitivity, specificity, positive, and negative predicted values of CrAg-LFA in the serum were 75.0%, 99.6%, 98.2%, and 92.9%, respectively, while those in the BALF were 93.1%, 100.0%, 100.0%, and 97.9%, respectively. The sensitivity of the CrAg-LFA in BALF was significantly higher than that in the serum of the patients in the PC group (P < 0.05).

Conclusion: CrAg-LFA has a higher diagnostic value for PC when analyzing BALF samples compared to serum samples.

Keywords: Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid; Colloidal gold immunochromatographic assay; Cryptococcal capsular polysaccharide antigen; Pulmonary cryptococosis.