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Lab Manual for Moffitt-Long and Mount Zion

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Beta-D-glucan

Item Value
Approval req'd? Not required for serum samples. Testing on other sample types requires approval of UCSF Adult or Pediatric ID service or Microbiology Director. Note that Viracor will not accept CSF for testing.
Available Stat? No
Test code BDGLU
Performed by Viracor
Sendout? yes
Method Limulus Amoebacyte Lysate
Container type Gold top, Red top
Amount to Collect 3 mL blood
Sample type Serum, (Note: BAL and CSF are not an acceptable sample type, see 'Additional information')
Preferred volume 1 mL serum
Min. Volume
Infants/pediatrics 0.2 mL serum
Adults 0.5 mL serum
UCSF Rejection Criteria Lipemic, icteric or hemolyzed specmens. CSF or BAL received.
Ref Lab Rejection Criteria Lipemic, icteric or hemolyzed specmens.
Specimens that have been stored at ambient temperature. Specimens that have been stored at 2-8C for >5 days. If storage longer than 5 days is needed, samples should be frozen at -20c or colder. Unless indicated as stored frozen, the specimen will be rejected if the draw date is >5 days from receipt at ViraCor.
Units pg/mL
Normal range < 60 pg/mL
Synonyms Beta D glucan
Stability Refrigerated 4 days.
Turn around times 3-4 days
Additional information This assay does not detect certain fungal species such as Cryptococcus (Tanaka et al, 1991) or the yeast phase of Blastomyces (Girouard et al 2007) that produce very low levels of Beta-D-Glucan, The assay also does not detect fungal spercies that do not produce Beta-D-Glucan such as Absidia, Mucor and Rhizopus (Mitsuya et asl 1994).

Due to the potential for contamination by oral Candida Sp. this test is inappropriate for sputum, BAL or other respiratory samples colelcted through the mouth.
CPT coding 87449-90
LOINC code 42176-8
Last Updated 5/15/2013 2:13:46 PM
Entry Number 1302

If you have additional questions regarding this test, please call: 415-353-1667

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