DETECTION OF CANDIDA ENOLASE ANTIBODY IN PATIENTS WITH CANDIDIASIS

The serodiagnostic value of candida enolase antibody was evaluated in 27 patients with systemic candidiasis. The glycolytic enzyme enolase was prepared from Candida albicans IFM 40009 and used as the antigen for immunoblot assays. IgG class antibody was found in the sera of 17 of 27 patients (62.9%) obtained during the early course of the infection. Serial sampling of sera increased the number of patients with positive Candida enolase antibody, which was detected in 25 of 27 patients (92.5%). None of the patients with localized candidiasis showed a positive IgG titer more than 1:100. The specificity of Candida enolase IgG antibody was 95%. This antibody was observed in various candida species: Candida albicans (6/7, 85.7%); c. parapsilosis (7/9, 77.9%); C. tropicalis (5/5, 100%); C. guilliermondii (4/4, 100%); and C. glabrata (1/3, 33.3%). (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.