EVALUATION OF 8 ANTIBODY TESTS AND ONE ANTIGEN TEST FOR THE DIAGNOSISOF INVASIVE ASPERGILLOSIS

Eight Aspergillus antibody detection assays - three indirect haemagglu tination assays (IHA-LD, IHA-Roche, IHA-Fumouze), three enzyme immunoa ssays (EIA-IgG, EIA-IgM, EIA-IgA, DDV) and two complement fixation tes ts (CF-metabolic and CF-somatic, Virion - and one latex agglutination test (LAT) for Aspergillus galactomannan antigen detection (Sanofi Pas teur) were evaluated in 14 patients with proven invasive aspergillosis (a total of 47 serum samples and one cerebrospinal fluid sample) and in 68 selected control individuals (one selected serum sample each). F or the antibody tests, sensitivity ranged from 14% to 36% and specific ity from 72% to 99%. The antigen detection test had a sensitivity of 3 6% and a specificity of 100%. Currently commercially available antibod y detection assays for the serodiagnosis of invasive aspergillosis are inadequate. The antigen detection test appears to be highly specific, but lacks sufficient sensitivity.