Serodiagnosis

Abstract

Serological methods are of considerable value in paracoccidioidomycosis. Counter-immunoelectrophoresis, otherwise known as electrosyneresis or immunoelectroosmophoresis, has been frequently applied for the immunodiagnosis of several mycotic disorders. The development of a standard serological test for paracoccidioidomycosis is therefore being intensively pursued and recently a study group has been set up for this purpose, under the auspices of the International Society for Human and Animal Mycology (ISHAM) and with the involvement of various laboratories. When evaluating the serological response of paracoccidioidomycosis patients to antigens present in P. brasiliensis yeast cells filtrate, in the ELISA and the erythro-immunoassay, it was found that absorption of the sera with dead Candida albicans cells was a requirement. The immunofluorescence test has also been used in the serodiagnosis of paracoccidioidomycosis as well as in the study of the antigenic relationship between pathogenic fungi. Improvement in the serodiagnosis of paracoccidioidomycosis will come from the use of purified immunodominant fractions as antigens.