title: Diagnosis of systemic candidiasis: development of co-counterimmunoelectrophoresis.
abstract: To improve the results of counterimmunoelectrophoresis for serological diagnosis of candidiasis, a new method was devised to characterize human sera precipitins: co-counterimmunoelectrophoresis. Cellulose acetate was chosen as the support in order to observe identity reactions between precipitin lines from serum systems run conjointly (thus, co-counterimmunoelectrophoresis). Different experimental antisera (anti-somatic and anti-cytoplasmic antigens and anti-whole fixed germ tube antisera) were tested for reactions of identity with sera from selected patients with systemic candidiasis caused by Candida albicans. The reaction of patient sera and anti-germ tube antiserum with a selected somatic antigen always resulted in an identity reaction as proven by the continuity of major precipitin lines. The precipitating system, named the co-specific precipitin line, involved polysaccharide antigens; it was not present in human control sera.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000908:Antibodies, Fungal / Q000032:analysis*; D000946:Antigens, Fungal / Q000276:immunology; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000276:immunology*; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D003378:Counterimmunoelectrophoresis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011233:Precipitin Tests
chemical_list: D000908:Antibodies, Fungal; D000946:Antigens, Fungal