title: [Prevalence of paracoccidioidomycosis infection determined by sorologic test in donors' blood in the Northwest of Paraná, Brazil].
abstract: In this paper the classical ELISA test was used, which is a highly sensitive method, with the objective of estimating the anti-Paracoccidioides brasiliensis antibodies level in healthy people, residing in supposedly endemic regions for PCM, Northwest Paran  State, Brazil. The sera was analyzed from 680 blood donors' who were approved by the classical serologic screening by blood banks. Four cities were studied (Campo Mour o, Maring , Cianorte and Umuarama) with a sample of 170 donors each. The antigen used was Ag7days, diluted serum 1/400, anti human IgG-conjugate marked with peroxidase and revealed with O-Phenylenediamine. It was possible to detect 181 (27%) sera with antibody level above the cut off threshold. The percentage varied between the cities. These results allied with the favorable climatic and geographical conditions and also previous reports of PCM indigenous to the region, indicate that the Northwest of Paran  is an endemic region for PCM.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Ensino e Pesquisa em Análises Clínicas do Hemocentro Regional de Maringá, Maringá, PR, Brasil.
authors.forename: Márcia Luzia Ferrarezi
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Maluf
authors.forename: Sandra Regina Corbello
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Gisele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Takahachi
authors.forename: Terezinha Inez Estivalet
authors.initials: TI
authors.lastname: Svidzinski
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000908:Antibodies, Fungal / Q000097:blood*; D001782:Blood Donors; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010228:Paracoccidioides / Q000276:immunology*; D010229:Paracoccidioidomycosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
chemical_list: D000908:Antibodies, Fungal
vernacular_title: Prevalência de paracoccidioidomicose-infecção determinada através de teste sorológico em doadores de sangue na região Noroeste do Paraná, Brasil.