Kwizera R., Nguna J., Kiragga A., Nakavuma J., Rajasingham R., Boulware D.R., Meya D.B.
Infectious Diseases Institute, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda; College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resource and Biosecurity, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda; Division of Infectious Diseases and International Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States; Makerere University College of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Kampala, Uganda
Kwizera, R., Infectious Diseases Institute, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda; Nguna, J., Infectious Diseases Institute, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda; Kiragga, A., Infectious Diseases Institute, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda; Nakavuma, J., College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resource and Biosecurity, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda; Rajasingham, R., Infectious Diseases Institute, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda, Division of Infectious Diseases and International Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States; Boulware, D.R., College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resource and Biosecurity, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda; Meya, D.B., Infectious Diseases Institute, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda, Division of Infectious Diseases and International Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Kampala, Uganda
Background: Cryptococcal meningitis can best be diagnosed by cerebrospinal fluid India ink microscopy, cryptococcal antigen detection, or culture. These require invasive lumbar punctures. The utility of cryptococcal antigen detection in saliva is unknown. We evaluated the diagnostic performance of the point-of-care cryptococcal antigen lateral flow assay (CrAg LFA) in saliva. Methods: We screened HIV-infected, antiretroviral therapy naïve persons with symptomatic meningitis (n = 130) and asymptomatic persons with CD4+,100 cells/μL entering into HIV care (n = 399) in Kampala, Uganda. The diagnostic performance of testing saliva was compared to serum/plasma cryptococcal antigen as the reference standard. Results: The saliva lateral flow assay performance was overall more sensitive in symptomatic patients (88%) than in asymptomatic patients (27%). The specificity of saliva lateral flow assay was excellent at 97.8% in the symptomatic patients and 100% in asymptomatic patients. The degree of accuracy of saliva in diagnosing cryptococcosis and the level of agreement between the two sample types was better in symptomatic patients (C-statistic 92.9, κ-0.82) than in asymptomatic patients (C-statistic 63.5, κ-0.41). Persons with false negative salvia CrAg tests had lower levels of peripheral blood CrAg titers (P<0.001). Conclusion: There was poor diagnostic performance in testing saliva for cryptococcal antigen, particularly among asymptomatic persons screened for preemptive treatment of cryptococcosis. © 2014 Kwizera et al.
cryptococcal antigen; fungus antigen; unclassified drug; fungus antigen; adult; analytical equipment; antigen detection; article; blood level; CD4 lymphocyte count; clinical trial (topic); cohort analysis; controlled study; cryptococcosis; Cryptococcus gattii; Cryptococcus neoformans; diagnostic accuracy; diagnostic test accuracy study; ethnic group; false negative result; female; human; human cell; Human immunodeficiency virus infected patient; Human immunodeficiency virus infection; immunoassay; lateral flow assay; major clinical study; male; meningitis; point of care testing; prospective study; receiver operating characteristic; saliva analysis; sensitivity and specificity; Uganda; Ugandan; complication; Filobasidiella; immunology; Meningitis, Cryptococcal; middle aged; saliva; Adult; Antigens, Fungal; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; Cryptococcus; Female; HIV Infections; Humans; Male; Meningitis, Cryptococcal; Middle Aged; Saliva; Sensitivity and Specificity; Uganda