Comparison of immunodiffusion and crossed-immunoelectrophoresis in the diagnosis of invasive candidiasis.
A retrospective single blind study was conducted to compare the efficacy of crossed-immunoelectrophoresis using concanavalin A intermediate gel with double immunodiffusion tests in the diagnosis of invasive candidiasis. On the basis of cytoplasmic antibody detection, crossed-immunoelectrophoresis with concanavalin A differentiated reliably between Candida albicans fungemia and invasive candida infection, whereas double immunodiffusion did not. With regard to sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value crossed-immunoelectrophoresis with concanavalin A was superior to double immunodiffusion. Analysis of double immunodiffusion precipitin bands revealed fuzzy and sharp precipitin bands which corresponded to mannan (fuzzy) and cytoplasmic (sharp) antibodies in the crossed-immunoelectrophoresis with concanavalin A assay. Therefore, the finding of sharp bands in the double immunodiffusion procedure supports the diagnosis of invasive candidiasis.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002175:Candida / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D005779:Immunodiffusion / Q000379:methods; D007123:Immunoelectrophoresis, Two-Dimensional / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged