Comparison of Immunological Methods for Diagnosis of Invasive Candidiasis

Kim, Bong Su; Lee, Yeong Seon; Cho, In Seon; Kim, Dong Han; Park, Kee Duk; Shin, Jong Hee

Abstract

BACKGROUND
The early diagnosis of invasive candidiasis is the most important for reducing of morbidity and mortality rates in the immunocompromised patients. The study of antigen detection was performed by Cand-Tec kit, but antibody detection by Western blot, had not been reported.
OBJECTIVE
We reviewed 62 cases of suspected invasive candidiasis(10), immunocompromised patients with leukemia, leukopenia, pneumonia, et al(44) and normal colonization control(8) in the urine and sputum for the immunological diagnosis of invasive candidiasis by Cand-Tec and Western blot assays.
METHODS
The antigen and antibody detection were done by both Cand-Tec kit and Western blot assay, in the sera of the patients collected from several hospitals.
RESULTS
The sera from 4(40%) and 8(80%) of 10 suspected invasive candidiasis had a threshold positive titers of > or = 1:4 by latex agglutination (Cand-Tec) and the results of positive antibody to the immunodominant antigen (47KDa) of Candida spp. by Western blot assay, each other. Both antigen and antibody we.e detected from 21(47%) of 44 patients in the immunocompromised group and 1(12%) of 8 cases with normal flora, separately, but the antibodies from 3(18%) of 16 healthy controls were detected by Western blot analysis, only.
CONCLUSION
This study confirm that the Western blot method of detecting antibody against immunodominant antigen(47KDa) of Candida spp. was more effective than antigen detection by Cand-Tec method for immunodiagnosis of invasive candidiasis.