• Hui-Hua Hsiao, Yi-Chang Liu, Hui-Ching Wang, Jeng-Shiun Du, Shih-Hao Tang, Tsung-Jang Yeh, Chieh-Yu Hsieh, Yuh-Ching Gau, Ya-Lun Ke, Tzer-Ming Chuang, Chi-En Hsiao, Chia-Hung Yen, Shih-Feng Cho, Samuel Yien Hsiao, Shyh-Shin Chiou, Shang-Yi Lin, Chin-Mu Hsu, and Po-Liang Lu.
• Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan; Faculty of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan; Center for Liquid Biopsy and Cohort Research, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan; Center for Cancer Research, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan; Cancer Center, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan. Electronic address: huhuhs@kmu.edu.tw.
• J Formos Med Assoc. 2022 Oct 1; 121 (10): 2123-2129.

PurposeTo compare a lateral-flow device (LFD) method to the galactomannan assay (GM) for the diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis (IA).MethodsFirst, 20 GM-positive serum samples stored for two years were retested with both the GM and LFD assays. Second, 153 serum samples from 91 immunocompromised patients suspected of having IA were tested prospectively, including 56 hematologic malignancies and 35 chronic illnesses with steroid therapy.ResultsFor the twenty GM-positive stored samples, only ten were positive for the repeated GM assay and none were positive for IA according to the LFD test. The concordance of the LDF with the GM test was 79.81% (83/104) if both tests were performed on the sample collection day, with the rate reducing to 67.65% (23/34) (p < 0.05) if the LFD test was performed 2-7 days after the GM test. Furthermore, there was a significant difference in the discrepancy between the GM and LFD tests between previous and no anti-mold exposure subgroups (33.33% vs. 12.31%, p < 0.01). The sensitivity and specificity of the GM test were 89.65% and 98.66%, 68.96%, and 78.67% for the LFD assay.ConclusionSerum samples that have been stored long term are not suitable for re-testing with the GM or LFD assay. There was a strong correlation between the LFD and GM assay results if the tests were performed on the same day, however, this decreased if the samples were stored for more than 2 days. Additionally, previous exposure to antibiotics and/or antifungal therapy could influence the LFD results, leading to discrepancies with the GM test results.Copyright © 2022 Formosan Medical Association. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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