DETECTION OF SERUM CANDIDA ANTIGENS BY ENZYME-LINKED-IMMUNOSORBENT-ASSAY AND A LATEX AGGLUTINATION-TEST WITH ANTI-CANDIDA-ALBICANS AND ANTI-CANDIDA-KRUSEI ANTIBODIES

Serum samples from 197 patients with and without candidiasis were assayed for Candida albicans mannan and Candida krusei mannan by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and a latex agglutination test (LA) and for D-arabinitol by the enzymatic fluorometric method. Of the 43 patients positive for C albicans mannan (greater-than-or-equal-to 0.2 ng/ml), 34 were infected with C albicans and 9 were infected with Candida tropicalis. C. krusei mannan (greater-than-or-equal-to 0.3 ng/ml) was detected in 10 patients infected with Candida parapsilosis, 2 patients infected with Candida guilliermondii, and 1 patient infected with C. krusei. With both anti-C. albicans antibodies and anti-C. krusei antibodies, the sensitivities of ELISA and LA for detection of invasive candidiasis (58 patients) were 74 and 38%, respectively. No false-positive reactions were observed by the ELISA or the LA. The sensitivity and specificity of the D-arabinitol/creatinine ratio (greater-than-or-equal-to 1.5 mumol/mg) to invasive candidiasis were 50 and 91%, respectively. The ELISA with antibodies against both C albicans and C. krusei may be useful in diagnosing invasive candidiasis caused by medically important Candida strains excluding Candida glabrata.