(1,3) B-D Glucan




Test Mnemonic

BDGLUC

CPT Codes

  • 87449 - QTY (1)

LOINC ®

42176-8

Aliases

  • Beta-D Glucan
  • Fungitell
  • Glucan

Performing Laboratory

n/a


Specimen Requirements

Volume Type Container Collect Temperature Transport Temperature Special Instructions
0.5 mLSerumSST (Gold) RefrigeratedSample should be collected in a sterile container using aseptic technique. If aliquoting is necessary, sterile aliquot tubes must be used. The sample should be transported to the laboratory as soon as possible or within 2 hours of collection. The sample should be centrifuged to separate the serum from the cells and then immediately placed into refrigerated storage pending delivery to the testing laboratory. Heel and fingerstick collections are unacceptable. This test cannot be added on to other testing. Sample cannot be shared with other testing.

Minimum Specimen Requirements

Volume Type Container Collect Temperature Transport Temperature Special Instructions
0.25 mL     

Stability

Environmental Condition Description
Ambientunacceptable
Refrigerated7 days
Frozen1 year

Days Performed

Mon, Wed, Fri

Turnaround Time

1 - 5 days

Methodology

Name Description
Colorimetric, Kinetic 

Reference Range

(1,3) B-D Glucan
Sex Age From Age To Type Range Range Unit
       Normal< 60pg/mL
(1,3) B-D Glucan, Qual
Sex Age From Age To Type Range Range Unit
       Negative 

Special Info

Certain fungi, such as the genus Cryptococcus which produces very low levels of (1,3)-ß-D-glucan, may not result in serum (1,3)-ß-D-glucan sufficiently elevated so as to be detected by the assay. Infections with fungi of the order Mucorales such as Absidia, Mucor and Rhizopus which are not known to produce (1,3)-ß-D-glucan, are also observed to yield low serum (1,3)-ß-D-glucan titers. In addition, the yeast phase of Blastomyces dermatitidis produces little (1,3)-ß-D-glucan and may not be detected by the assay.

Clinical Info

Some individuals have elevated levels of (1,3)-ß-D-glucan that fall into the indeterminate zone. In such cases, additional surveillance testing is recommended. The frequency of patient testing will depend upon the relative risk of fungal infection.

Clinical Limitation

Samples obtained by heel or finger stick methods are unacceptable as the alcohol-soaked gauze used to prepare the site (and, potentially, the skin surface-pooling of blood) has been shown to contaminate the specimens. **The following sample conditions can interfere with an accurate result: hemolysis, turbidity caused by lipemia, visual bilirubin, turbid serum, and elevated levels of Immunoglobulin G.