CLEARANCES OF CANDIDA ALBICANS-DERIVED ALPHA-LINKED AND BETA-LINKED MANNOSE RESIDUES IN SERA FROM PATIENTS WITH CANDIDIASIS

Two monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) reacting with different Candida albic ans mannan oligomannosidic epitopes were used to detect antigens in hu man sera. The first MAb reacted with alpha-linked mannose residues sha red by mannoproteins, and the second displayed reactivity against beta -1,2-linked oligomannosides shared by phospholipomannan. Two latex agg lutination tests performed after dissociation of serum immune complexe s were 100% specific. In a retrospective analysis of 39 sera from 20 p atients with candidiasis, each test detected seven patients; in combin ation, they detected ten. More than 60% of positive samples were posit ive with only one test. These results demonstrate that the clearance o f Candida albicans antigens from the blood differs according to the ty pe of oligomannoside and glycoconjugate. Antigen detection kits with M Abs to different Candida albicans mannan epitopes could provide a logi cal rationale to compensate for the transitory character of mannanemia detection during candidal infections.