DIAGNOSIS OF PARACOCCIDIOIDOMYCOSIS BY DOT-IMMUNOBINDING ASSAY FOR ANTIBODY DETECTION USING THE PURIFIED AND SPECIFIC ANTIGEN GP43

The dot immunobinding assay, a rapid, visually read test, was adapted for serodiagnosis and follow-up of paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM). Purif ied gp43 antigen was tested before and after sodium metaperiodate trea tment. To evaluate the assay, it was tested with sera from PCM, histop lasmosis, Jorge Lobo's disease, aspergillosis, candidiasis, and crypto coccosis patients and healthy subjects. Native gp43 gave positive resu lts with all sera from PCM patients and weakly positive results with s era from Jorge Lobo's disease patients (31.3%). No false-positive resu lts were obtained when periodate-treated gp43 was used as the antigen. These results indicate that the dot immunobinding test is sensitive, specific, economical, and fast for serodiagnosis and follow-up studies of PCM.