Serodiagnosis of cryptococcosis.

概要

論文の詳細を見る
We have examined the usefulness of the serological test, the latex agglutination (LA) test for antigen detection and the cell slide agglutination (CSA) test for Cryptococcus neoformans antibody determination. For the LA test, the minimal concentration of detectable polysaccharide antigen of C. neoformans serotype A was 2.4-9.8ng/ml for the sensitized latex particles. Two tests were made using specimens received during the period 1980-1984 from 34 patients. Of these, 25 had clinically diagnosed cryptococcosis and 9 were undiagnosed cases. Antigen was detected by the LA test in 21 of the 25 proven cases (84%). Antibody was detected in 5 cases (20%) by CSA test, and immune complex was detected in 9 cases (28%). Of 13 cases of cryptococcal meningitis, cryptococcal antigens were detected in all the sera and CSFs we received. Of the 9 cases of pulmonary cryptococcosis, antigens were detected in the sera of 6. Of 3 cases of cutaneous cryptococcosis, antigens were detected in the sera of 2. Of the 9 undiagnosed cases, we diagnosed one case as cryptococcal meningitis by the LA test, and one case was suspected to be pulmonary cryptococcosis by the CSA test. The cross reactivity with rheumatoid factor in the LA test could be excluded by pretreatment of patient sera with pronase, and the immune complex was cleaved by this enzyme. For the rapid diagnosis of cryptococcosis, the LA test should be performed first and the CSA test second.
日本医真菌学会の論文