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Background Cryptococcosis is a notable infectious complication of liver transplantation. Currently, there is no recommendation for screening serum cryptococcal antigen (CrAg) levels in solid organ transplant recipients. We aimed to explore the role of serum CrAg in liver transplant recipients at an institution where posttransplant serum CrAg has been widely tested. Methods This retrospective study was conducted at a tertiary care center in Japan. All liver transplant recipients with serum CrAg measured either for screening or for diagnostic testing at least once after transplantation between April 2005 and March 2022 were included. For participants with either a positive CrAg test result or positive culture for Cryptococcus , we manually reviewed clinical manifestations, management, and prognosis from the medical records. Results During the study period, 12 885 serum CrAg tests (median, 16 tests per patient) were performed in 468 liver transplant recipients. The 1-year posttransplant incidence of positive serum CrAg test results and culture-proven cryptococcosis was 1.9% (9/468) and 0.6% (3/468), respectively. No patient with persistently negative serum CrAg test results showed growth of Cryptococcus in culture. Four patients had clinical manifestations consistent with cryptococcosis, of whom 2 (50.0%) started antifungal therapy promptly based on a positive serum CrAg test result. In contrast, 5 patients had no clinical manifestations. Three of the 5 (60.0%) patients did not receive antifungal therapy and remained free of clinical manifestations. Conclusions Serum CrAg test was more sensitive than culture among liver transplant recipients and prompted early diagnosis and antifungal therapy in symptomatic patients. However, serial screening of serum CrAg in asymptomatic patients may be of little value, with the potential for false-positive results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Non-culture-based fungal assays (NCBFAs) have been used increasingly to help diagnose invasive fungal diseases. However, little is known about inappropriate use of NCBFAs. We aimed to investigate inappropriate use of NCBFAs in a tertiary academic hospital. Methods This retrospective cohort study included patients who underwent testing with beta-D glucan (BDG) between January and March 2018 or with galactomannan antigen (GMA) or cryptococcal antigen (CRAG) between January and June 2018. Testing was deemed appropriate if the clinical presentation was compatible with a fungal infection and there was a predisposing host factor at the time of ordering. We compared patients with appropriate and inappropriate use of NCBFAs using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results Four hundred seventy patients (BDG, 394; GMA, 138; CRAG, 164) met inclusion criteria and were evaluated. About 80% of NCBFAs were deemed inappropriate. Ordering by transplant medicine physicians, repetitions of the test, the absence of predisposing factors for fungal infections, and the absence of recommendations from infectious diseases consultants were associated with an increased risk of inappropriate NCBFA use. Conclusions We found that a large proportion of NCBFAs were deemed inappropriate. There is an opportunity for diagnostic stewardship to reduce avoidable fungal testing among patients at low risk for fungal infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]