The lack of utility of the latex agglutination test for detection of Candida antigen in the diagnosis of systemic candidiasis.
The Ramco latex agglutination test in the diagnosis of systemic candidiasis was utilized for 11 serum samples from 10 patients with systemic candidiasis, 21 serum samples from patients colonized with Candida species, and 20 control serum samples from patients with stable medical problems and no evidence of Candida albicans infection. This study was double-blind and the results of the latex agglutination test did not influence the decision for antifungal therapy. Nine of 10 patients with systemic candidiasis had positive titers (greater than or equal to 1:4); however, these were determined only 1 to 5 days before culture positivity. Nine of 21 (43%) of colonized patients were falsely positive (greater than or equal to 1:4) and all of the control samples were negative. The Ramco latex agglutination test was unreliable and inconsistent in this small sample group to establish an early diagnosis of systemic candidiasis.
Battafarano
D F
DF
Department of Medicine, Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, TX 78234-6200.
Jefferies
B
B
McAllister
C K
CK
Kelly
J W
JW
D000946:Antigens, Fungal / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D006801:Humans; D007841:Latex Fixation Tests; D012016:Reference Values
D000946:Antigens, Fungal