SERODIAGNOSIS OF CLINICAL CRYPTOCOCCOSIS

Abstract

Serodiagnosis of clinical cryptococcosis more reliable than is often reported. By using complement-fixation, slide-agglutination, and latex-fixation tests to assay patients'' sera for cryptococcal antigens and antibodies, 28 of 40 patients had antigens or antibodies. Circulating antigens appear to indicate continuing disease or recent disease after therapy when the fungus can no longer be demonstrated by cultural or India ink methods. Antibodies to Cryptococcus were observed only after therapy when the patients'' serum became culturally negative and the antigen titers had decreased. The presence of antibodies, therefore, seems to reflect a state of recovery or low grade infections as was observed in a case of pulmonary cryptococcosis. Finally, the complement-fixation test proved more sensitive than either the modified latex-fixation or slide-agglutination tests for detecting antigens and antibodies for C. neoformans.