Evaluation of different commercial ELISA methods for the serodiagnosis of systemic candidosis.
Different commercial enzyme-linked immunsorbent assays (ELISA) were evaluated in a preliminary study for diagnosis of systemic candidosis: Biomerica and Virotech GmbH, which allowed immunoglobulin G detection, and Platelia, which associated total antibody to antigen detection. They were tested with a home-made ELISA and compared with the routine techniques used in the hospital laboratory: indirect immunofluorescence and counter-immunoelectrophoresis. Sera were obtained from patients with probable or proven systemic candidosis (groups 3 and 4, n=8 and n=14, respectively) and from patients without systemic candidosis who were divided into controls (n=10), those hospitalized without Candida isolation (group 1, n=10) and those hospitalized with Candida isolation in a peripheral site (group 2, n=18). The immunoglobulin G ELISAs showed a higher sensitivity associated with lower specificity compared to the indirect immunofluorescence, counter-immunoelectrophoresis and total immunoglobulin ELISAs. Mannan antigen detection showed the highest specificity (78.9%). Its association with the detection of total anti-Candida immunoglobulins was more sensitive than the association of indirect immunofluorescence with counter-immunoelectrophoresis (95.4% versus 59%, respectively) with a specificity of 52.6% (versus 55.2%). Interest in the use of commercial ELISAs, more particularly the Platelia tests, has to be confirmed in a prospective study with follow-up of the patients.
Persat
F
F
Service de Parasitologie, Mycologie Médicale et Maladies Tropicales, and Service d'Hématologie, Hôpital Edouard Herriot, Lyon, France. florence.persat@Univ-lyon.fr
Topenot
R
R
Piens
M A
MA
Thiebaut
A
A
Dannaoui
E
E
Picot
S
S
D000908:Antibodies, Fungal / Q000097:blood*; D000946:Antigens, Fungal / Q000032:analysis*; D002175:Candida / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003378:Counterimmunoelectrophoresis; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D016469:Fungemia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D000908:Antibodies, Fungal; D000946:Antigens, Fungal; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic