Synergistic effects of S100 calcium-binding protein A12 combined with Pentraxin 3 in invasive pulmonary aspergillosis and their clinical application prospects

Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) is a severe deep-seated fungal infection caused by <i>fungi</i> of the genus <i>Aspergillus</i>. In recent years, its global incidence has shown a marked upward trend, posing a serious threat especially to immunocompromised patients, such as hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients, cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, and individuals on long-term glucocorticoid therapy. The core clinical dilemmas lie in the difficulty of early diagnosis and the narrow therapeutic window. Currently used clinical diagnostic indicators, including the galactomannan (GM) assay, (1,3)-β-D-glucan(G) assay, and imaging examinations, suffer from insufficient sensitivity or specificity, while traditional microbiological detection methods have a relatively long turnaround time. S100 calcium-binding protein A12 (S100A12) and Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) are both key molecules in the innate immune response of the human body, playing central roles in the immune regulation of infectious diseases. Recent studies have demonstrated that both molecules are abnormally expressed in IPA patients and may participate in the processes of <i>Aspergillus</i> infection recognition, immune clearance, and inflammatory regulation through synergistic effects, thereby providing new directions for the early diagnosis, disease assessment, and targeted therapy of IPA. This review will systematically elaborate on the molecular characteristics of S100A12 and PTX3, explore their synergistic mechanism and combined diagnostic value in IPA, and analyze their prospects for clinical application.