Table of Contents
β-D-Glucan (BDG) is a polysaccharide component of the fungal cell wall, widely present in species such as Candida, Aspergillus, Fusarium, and Pneumocystis jirovecii. Since it is released into the bloodstream during invasive fungal infections (IFIs), detection of BDG has become a valuable non-culture-based diagnostic biomarker. The BDG test is often used as part of fungal disease screening in immunocompromised patients, including those with cancer, transplants, or prolonged neutropenia.
The assay is based on the colorimetric detection of (1→3)-β-D-glucan using the Limulus Amebocyte Lysate (LAL) pathway. When BDG is present in the patient’s serum, it activates the factor G pathway in the LAL reagent derived from horseshoe crab blood. This triggers a cascade of enzymatic reactions, resulting in a measurable color change or turbidity that correlates with the amount of BDG present. The test is performed on serum samples, with a cutoff value (commonly ≥80 pg/mL) used to indicate positivity.
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