SIMPLIFIED ADSORPTION METHOD FOR DETECTION OF ANTIBODIES TO CANDIDA-ALBICANS GERM TUBES

Two modifications that simplify and shorten a method for adsorption of the antibodies against the antigens expressed on both blastospore and germ tube cell wall surfaces (methods 2 and 3) were compared with the original method of adsorption (method 1) to detect anti-Candida albic ans germ tube antibodies in 154 serum specimens. Adsorption of the ser a by both modified methods resulted in titers very similar to those ob tained by the original method. Only 5.2% of serum specimens tested by method 2 and 5.8% of serum specimens tested by method 3 presented grea ter than one dilution discrepancies in the titers with respect to the titer observed by method 1. When a test based on method 2 was evaluate d with sera from patients with invasive candidiasis, the best discrimi natory results (sensitivity, 84.6%; specificity, 87.9%; positive predi ctive value, 75.9%; negative predictive value, 92.7%; efficiency, 86.9 %) were obtained when a titer of greater-than-or-equal-to 1:160 was co nsidered positive.