KL-6 as a serologic indicator of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in immunocompromised hosts

• Published in: Internal medicine (Tokyo, 1992) Vol. 37; no. 3; pp. 307 - 310
• Main Authors: HAMADA, H, KOHNO, N, YOKOYAMA, A, HIRASAWA, Y, HIWADA, K, SAKATANI, M, UEDA, E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tokyo Japanese Society of Internal Medicine 1998
• Subjects: Antigens; Antigens, Neoplasm; Arthritis, Rheumatoid - complications; Arthritis, Rheumatoid - drug therapy; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers - blood; Biopsy; Brain Neoplasms - complications; Brain Neoplasms - drug therapy; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Glioblastoma - complications; Glioblastoma - drug therapy; Glycoproteins; Human mycoses; Humans; Immunocompromised Host; Immunohistochemistry; Immunosuppressive Agents - therapeutic use; Infectious diseases; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Mucin-1; Mucins - blood; Mycoses; Mycoses of the respiratory system; Peptide Fragments - blood; Pneumonia, Pneumocystis - blood; Pneumonia, Pneumocystis - complications; Pneumonia, Pneumocystis - pathology; Procollagen - blood; Asia; Japan; Human; Lung disease; Opportunistic infection; Pathophysiology; Respiratory disease; Biological marker; Pneumocystis carinii; Blood plasma; Fungi; Assay; Mucin; Interstitial pneumonitis; Adult; Fungi Imperfecti; Diagnosis; Thallophyta
• ISSN: 0918-2918; 1349-7235
• DOI: 10.2169/internalmedicine.37.307

KL-6, a serum marker for interstitial pneumonitis, was evaluated in patients with Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP). Patient 1 was a 56-year-old woman with rheumatoid arthritis treated with immunosuppressive drugs and corticosteroids. Patient 2 was a 59-year-old man with a glioblastoma who received anti-cancer drugs and corticosteroids. In both patients, serum KL-6 showed an abnormally high level due to the complication of PCP, and it decreased following successful treatment. These results indicate that PCP is one of the diseases in which serum KL-6 increases.