Fungitell® (1-3)-β-D-Glucan Assay

For Specimen Integrity during Extreme Weather see the “Lockbox Usage in Extreme Weather” document at the top of this page.

FUNGIT

16283

1 mL serum

0.5 mL

Draw blood in plain red-top tube or serum separator tube, spin down, then aliquot off into a cryogenic vial (DNAse, RNAse, pyrogen-free). Glucan free tubes are acceptable.
Do not collect if a cyogenic vial is not available at draw site.  Serum needs transferred immediately to cryogenic vial.

Sterile screw-cap container or Glucan-free transport tube

Refrigerated (cold packs)

Room temperature: Unacceptable
Refrigerated: 15 days
Frozen: 27 days

Hemolysis • Lipemia • Icteric • Turbid serum • Glass tubes

Set up: Daily; Report available: 1-2 days

This assay is used for the qualitative detection of (1-3)-beta-D-glucan, a fungal cell wall antigen, in patients suspected of invasive fungal infection. The serum levels of (1-3)-beta-D-glucan can be used to aid in diagnosing deep-seated mycoses and fungemia and should be used in conjunction with other diagnostic tests and clinical criteria.
This assay is generally used as a non-invasive test for patients with symptoms consistent with invasive fungal infection or with medical conditions that put them at higher risk of infection. Patients with hematologic malignancies, organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplants, or those receiving immunosuppressive therapy are at higher risk of invasive fungal infection.
This assay is a pan-fungal antigen test and therefore can detect (1-3)-beta-D-glucan from several pathogenic and opportunistic fungal pathogens, if it is present above the limit of detection. A positive result does not indicate infection with any specific genus or species of fungi. In addition, infection may not lead to elevated levels of (1-3)-beta-D-glucan in the serum. This assay does not detect (1-3)-beta-D-glucan from infections caused by Mucorales (eg Lichtheimia, Mucor, and Rhizopus), Blastomyces spp, or Cryptococcus spp.
False-positive results have been reported in patients using certain fractionated blood products, such as serum albumin and immunoglobulins, and in specimens exposed to glucan-containing gauze and surgical sponges.

References:
1. Fungitell Assay. Instructions for use.
2. CLSI M53 2nd edition
3. Lamoth, F. et al. Assessment of the Role of 1,3-β-d-Glucan Testing for the Diagnosis of Invasive Fungal Infections in Adults. Clin Infect Dis. 2021 Mar 12;72(Suppl 2):S102-S108. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciaa1943.