[Candida-specific antibodies in intensive care and non-intensive care patients].
The titres of indirect anti-Candida haemagglutination test (C-HAT) and specific immunoglobulins C-IgM, C-IgG and C-IgA in 328 intensive care (IT) patients and 166 non-intensive care (NIT) patients were compared by statistical test methods. Positive correlations were found between values of C-HAT and all three Candida-specific immunoglobulins. At an interval of < or =7 days in the first patient group only, the changes in the course of titres were statistically highly significant. For C-IgM the short-term increase of titres can be interpreted in the sense of happened mycotic infection in connection with the clinical picture. In IT patients we found an average increase of C-IgM at 259.3, C-IgG at 174.7, C-IgA at 59.8 U ml(-1) and of three titre steps in C-HAT. In our experience of diagnostics of Candida infections in intensive care area with non-neutropenic patients the short-term determination of the anti-Candida immunoglobulin subclasses C-IgM and C-IgG and of C-HAT as screening test should not be neglected.
Knoke
M
M
Klinik für Innere Medizin A, Klinikum der Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universität Greifswald, Wiesenstrasse 40, D-17489 Greifswald, Germany. gastrokn@uni-greifswald.de
Bernhardt
H
H
D000908:Antibodies, Fungal / Q000097:blood*; D002175:Candida / Q000276:immunology*; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D003422:Critical Care; D006386:Hemagglutination Tests; D006801:Humans; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
D000908:Antibodies, Fungal