title: [Evaluation of a new commercial test (Candida albicans IFA IgG) for the serodiagnosis of invasive candidiasis].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Two tests for the detection of antibodies to Candida albicans germ tubes in patients with invasive candidiasis were compared: a new commercially available test (Candida albicans IFA IgG) and the indirect immunofluorescence test generally used for this purpose.
  
  
  METHODS
  With the use of two indirect immunofluorescence tests, retrospective study was done on 172 sera from 51 patients classified into two groups: Group I included 123 serum samples from 32 patients with invasive candidiasis, and Group II, the control, included 49 serum samples from 19 patients with no evidence of Candida infection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In Group I, 84% of patients presented anti-germ tube antibody titers >or= 1:160 by the Candida albicans IFA IgG test and 78.1% of patients were positive by the generally used test. There was a high correlation between the two tests (R2 =0.9512 by patients; R2 = 0.8986 by sera). When a titer value of >or= 1:160 was used as cutoff, the Candida albicans IFA IgG test showed a sensitivity of 84.4% and a specificity of 94.7%, whereas the traditional test showed a sensitivity of 78.1% and a specificity of 100%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The commercially available Candida albicans IFA IgG test is similar to the test generally used for the detection of antibodies to C. albicans germ tubes and provides faster and easier diagnosis of invasive candidiasis in the clinical microbiology laboratory.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Enfermería I, Facultad de Medicina y Odontología, Universidad del País Vasco, Bilbao, Vizcaya, España.
authors.forename: María Dolores
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Moragues
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ortiz
authors.forename: José Ramón
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Iruretagoyena
authors.forename: Juan Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: García-Ruiz
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Amutio
authors.forename: Almudena
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rojas
authors.forename: Joaquín
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mendoza
authors.forename: Guillermo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Quindós
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pontón-San Emeterio
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000908:Antibodies, Fungal / Q000097:blood*; D000946:Antigens, Fungal / Q000276:immunology; D002175:Candida / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology*; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000276:immunology; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D016469:Fungemia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D025282:Mycelium / Q000276:immunology; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012698:Serologic Tests / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D000908:Antibodies, Fungal; D000946:Antigens, Fungal; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic