Diagnostic Laboratory Features and Performance of an <i>Aspergillus</i> IgG Lateral Flow Assay in a Chronic Pulmonary Aspergillosis Cohort
Rong‐Sheng Zhu, Ling‐Hong Zhou, Jia-Hui Cheng, Yu Luo, Wenjia Qiu, Jun-Tian Huang, Ying‐Kui Jiang, Hua‐Zhen Zhao, Xuan Wang, Zhongqing Chen, Liping Zhu
Abstract
There are concerns on avoiding diagnostic delay and misdiagnosis for chronic pulmonary aspergillosis due to its high morbidity and mortality. A proportion of CPA patients test negative for Aspergillus IgG. An optimal diagnostic strategy for CPA requires in-depth investigation based on real-world diagnostic practice, which has been rarely discussed. We summarized the clinical and diagnostic laboratory findings of 126 CPA patients with various CPA subtypes. Aspergillus IgG was the most sensitive test for diagnosing CPA. However, it was negative in 52 patients, who were finally diagnosed by non-serological tests, including biopsy, respiratory culture, and metagenomic next-generation sequencing. We also evaluated a novel Aspergillus IgG lateral flow assay, which showed a satisfactory performance in cavitary CPA patients and was highly specific to Aspergillus fumigatus. This study gives a full picture of the diagnostic practice for CPA patients in Chinese context and calls for early diagnosis of CPA with combined approaches.