The Eiken Latex test for detection of a cryptococcal antigen in cryptococcosis. Comparison with a monoclonal antibody-based latex agglutination test, Pastorex Cryptococcus.
A latex agglutination test for cryptococcal antigen, the Eiken Latex test (Eiken, Tokyo, Japan), was compared with a monoclonal antibody-based agglutination assay, Pastorex Cryptococcus (Diagnostics Pasteur, Marneur-la-Coquette, France). In a murine model of disseminated cryptococcosis, the kinetics of the antigen titers by the Eiken Latex were similar to those by the Pastorex Cryptococcus, but sensitivity was much higher. In HIV-negative patients with pulmonary cryptococcosis, a cryptococcal antigen was detected in 6 of 10 patients by the Eiken Latex test and in only 3 of those patients by the Pastorex Cryptococcus. The results indicate that the Eiken Latex is more sensitive for the detection of the cryptococcal antigen, even in non-disseminated cryptococcosis. The sensitivity and specificity of the Eiken Latex were examined using 195 sera from 25 patients with pulmonary cryptococcosis and 170 patients with non-cryptococcosis. The cutoff value of > or = 1:8 showed a sensitivity of 76% (19/25) and a specificity of 98.9% (168/170).
Tanaka
K
K
Second Department of Internal Medicine, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, Japan.
Kohno
S
S
Miyazaki
T
T
Miyazaki
H
H
Mitsutake
K
K
Maesaki
S
S
Kaku
M
M
Koga
H
H
D000372:Agglutination Tests; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000946:Antigens, Fungal / Q000097:blood*; D003453:Cryptococcosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003455:Cryptococcus neoformans / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007841:Latex Fixation Tests; D008172:Lung Diseases, Fungal / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000097:blood*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000946:Antigens, Fungal; D011134:Polysaccharides; C014426:cryptococcal polysaccharide