VALUE OF ANTIGEN AND ANTIBODY DETECTION IN THE SEROLOGICAL DIAGNOSIS OF INVASIVE ASPERGILLOSIS IN PATIENTS WITH HEMATOLOGICAL MALIGNANCIES

In a study to determine the value of antigen and antibody detection in the serological diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis in patients with hematological malignancies, 436 sequential serum samples from 79 neutr openic patients were tested. Circulating galactomannan antigen was det ected with a latex agglutination method (Pastorex Aspergillus) and ant ibody to Aspergillus fumigatus with an immunodiffusion test on agar ge l. Among the 79 patients 18 cases of invasive aspergillosis were detec ted (4 proven, 6 highly probable, 3 probable, 5 suspected). Antigen wa s detected in 7 of these 18 patients. The sensitivity of the antigen t est was 38.8 % and the specificity 95 %. The antibody test showed 55.5 % sensitivity and 100 % specificity. In this study the antigen test w as less sensitive than previously reported but highly specific and mig ht serve as a supplementary diagnostic test.