title: Encephalitozoon cuniculi: implementation of a new fluorimetric method for the detection of anti-microsporidia antibodies.
abstract: A new fluorimetric method for the diagnosis of microsporidia was compared to the indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) method. Plates were coated with Encephalitozoon cuniculi spores, sera were incubated and an anti-human IgG FITC-conjugate was added. Finally, the plates were read using a fluorimeter. The results obtained were compared using the IIF technique confirming the positive sera with Fluorescence Index (FI) values of 3.75 and 5.24 in the fluorimetric method. Sera with FI values of 2.03 and 2.35 had borderline results when the IIF technique was used. The present results confirm the usefulness of fluorimetric methods in the diagnosis of human microsporidia, both in cases of the absence of immunodeficiency as well as in epidemiological studies.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Parasitología, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad CEU San Pablo, Montepríncipe, Boadilla del Monte, 28668 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Soledad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fenoy
authors.forename: Amaranta A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Pérez-Fernánz
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rodero
authors.forename: Carmen del
authors.initials: Cd
authors.lastname: Aguila
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cuéllar
mesh_terms: D000908:Antibodies, Fungal / Q000097:blood*; D009670:Encephalitozoon cuniculi / Q000276:immunology*; D016890:Encephalitozoonosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D005470:Fluorometry / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D000908:Antibodies, Fungal