Baseline correlation and comparative kinetics of cerebrospinal fluid colony-forming unit counts and antigen titers in cryptococcal meningitis

J Infect Dis. 2005 Aug 15;192(4):681-4. doi: 10.1086/432073. Epub 2005 Jul 7.

Abstract

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cryptococcal colony-forming unit counts and CSF cryptococcal antigen titers serve as alternative measures of organism load in cryptococcal meningitis. For these measures, we correlated baseline values and rates of decline during the first 2 weeks of therapy in 68 human immunodeficiency virus--seropositive patients with cryptococcal meningitis. At baseline, there was a strong correlation between CSF cryptococcal colony-forming unit counts and CSF cryptococcal antigen titers. During the first 2 weeks of therapy, CSF cryptococcal colony-forming unit counts decreased by >5 logs, and CSF cryptococcal antigen titers decreased by 1.5 dilutions. In individual patients, there was no correlation between the rate of decline in CSF cryptococcal colony-forming unit counts and that in CSF cryptococcal antigen titers.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antifungal Agents / therapeutic use
  • Antigens, Fungal / cerebrospinal fluid*
  • Colony Count, Microbial
  • Cryptococcus / immunology
  • Cryptococcus / isolation & purification*
  • HIV Infections / complications
  • Humans
  • Kinetics
  • Meningitis, Cryptococcal / cerebrospinal fluid*
  • Meningitis, Cryptococcal / microbiology*

Substances

  • Antifungal Agents
  • Antigens, Fungal