Combination of conventional and endotoxin-specific limulus tests for measurement of polysaccharides in sera of rabbits with experimental systemic candidiasis.
Factor G, the coagulation enzyme from limulus amebocytes, is activated by (1-->3)-beta-D-glucan but not by endotoxin. The endotoxin-specific limulus test, which is devoid of factor G, reacts only with endotoxin. However, the conventional limulus test which includes factors G and C, reacts with not only endotoxin but also with (1-->3)-beta-D-glucan. In this study, the culture supernatant of Candida albicans in RPMI medium activated the conventional limulus test, but not the endotoxin-specific limulus test. All five rabbits inoculated intravenously with Candida albicans (1.0 x 10(7) CFU/rabbit) showed increased levels of reactivity with the conventional limulus test, whereas no elevation in the levels of the endotoxin-specific limulus test was observed in the sera of any infected rabbits. Only one serum sample from rabbit No. 5 on day 8 showed a positive Cand-tectest. The difference in the titers of the two limulus tests was suggestive of a diagnosis of Candida infection.
Miyazaki
T
T
Second Department of Internal Medicine, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, Japan.
Kohno
S
S
Mitsutake
K
K
Yamada
H
H
Yasuoka
A
A
Maesaki
S
S
Kaku
M
M
Koga
H
H
Hara
K
K
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000378:metabolism; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000097:blood; D005936:Glucans / Q000494:pharmacology; D008033:Limulus Test / Q000379:methods*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000097:blood*; D011817:Rabbits; D047071:beta-Glucans
D004731:Endotoxins; D005936:Glucans; D011134:Polysaccharides; D047071:beta-Glucans; C038459:curdlan