Comparison of direct fluorescence antibody and calcofluor white stain for detection of Pneumocystis carinii in respiratory specimens.

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1994. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Comparison of direct fluorescence antibody and calcofluor white stain for detection of Pneumocystis carinii in respiratory specimens.

Abstr Gen Meet Am Soc Microbiol. 1994;94:625 (abstract no. V-47). Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE ASM94/94313127
Aslanzadeh J; Kowalski I; Stelmach PS; Ryan RW; University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington.

Abstract: Direct fluorescence monoclonal antibody stain (DFA) was compared, prospectively, with calcofluor white stain (CFW) for diagnosis of Pneumocystis carinii in 163 respiratory specimens from 97 patients. The patient population included HIV infection (58%), bone marrow transplant recipient (10%), immunosuppressed due to chemotherapy (21%) and others (11%). Nineteen specimens, 12 sputa, 6 BALs, 1 induced sputum, were positive by DFA. In contrast, only 6 sputa, 5 BALs were positive if one CFW stained slide was examined per specimen. However, an additional BAL was positive if two slides were examined per specimen. All specimen positive by CFW were also positive by DFA. Of 86 Sputa that were negative by either methods 3 specimens were followed by induced sputum 18 by BAL 6 by lung biopsy and 2 by pleural fluid. All the subsequent induced sputa, pleural fluids, and lung biopsies were negative by both methods. However, 4 of 18 subsequent BALs (22%) were positive by both methods provided at least two CFW stained slides were examined per specimen. We conclude that, except for expectorated sputum, CFW is a rapid and inexpensive test to detect P. carinii from most respiratory specimens.

Keywords: AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections/*DIAGNOSIS *Benzenesulfonates Biopsy Bone Marrow Transplantation Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid/*MICROBIOLOGY Comparative Study *Fluorescent Antibody Technique Human HIV Infections/COMPLICATIONS Immunosuppression/ADVERSE EFFECTS Lung/*MICROBIOLOGY/PATHOLOGY Pleural Effusion/MICROBIOLOGY Pneumocystis carinii Infections/*DIAGNOSIS/ETIOLOGY Postoperative Complications/DIAGNOSIS/MICROBIOLOGY Prospective Studies Sputum/*MICROBIOLOGY Staining/METHODS ABSTRACT
941030
M94A0827

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