This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Tanner, D C Articles by Reller, L Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Tanner, D C Articles by Reller, L

Comparison of commercial kits for detection of cryptococcal antigen.

Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710.

ABSTRACT

Although kits to detect cryptococcal antigen are used widely to diagnose cryptococcal infection, the comparative performance of commercially available assays has not been evaluated in the past decade. Therefore, we compared the sensitives and specificities of five commercially available kits for detecting cryptococcal antigen (four latex agglutination test kits--Calas [Meridian Diagnostics])--Crypto-LA [International Biological Labs], Myco-Immune [MicroScan], and Immy [Immunomycologics]--and an enzyme immunoassay kit, Premier [Meridian Diagnostics]) with culture for the diagnosis of cryptococcal meningitis and fungemia. Of 182 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and 90 serum samples submitted for cryptococcal antigen and fungal culture, 49 (19 and 30 samples, respectively) from 20 patients had a culture positive for Cryptococcus neoformans. For CSF specimens, the sensitivities and specificities of all kits were comparable (sensitivity, 93 to 100%; specificity, 93 to 98%). There was a significant difference in sensitivities of the kits when serum samples were tested with the International Biological Labs and MicroScan kits, which do not pretreat serum with pronase. These kits were less sensitive (sensitivity, 83%) than the Immy and Meridian latex kits (sensitivity, 97%), which do pretreat with pronase. The sensitivity of the Meridian enzyme immunoassay kit was comparable to that of the pronase-containing latex kits. These kits were of equivalent specificities (93 to 100%) when testing serum. Some of the currently available kits have limitations that need to be recognized for proper interpretation of results. Specifically, the use of pronase on serum samples reduces the number of false-positive results, and a titer of < or = 1:4 can be a false-positive result when CSF samples are being tested.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Yeo, S. F., Wong, B. (2002). Current Status of Nonculture Methods for Diagnosis of Invasive Fungal Infections. Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 15: 465-484 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Islam, F., Gillespie, S., Chua, F., Jarmulowicz, M., Johnson, M., Lipman, M. (2001). Respiratory and cutaneous manifestations of disseminated cryptococcosis in AIDS. Sex. Transm. Infect. 77 : 75-76 [Full Text]  
• Nagai, H., Yamakami, Y., Hashimoto, A., Tokimatsu, I., Nasu, M. (1999). PCR Detection of DNA Specific for Trichosporon Species in Serum of Patients with Disseminated Trichosporonosis. J. Clin. Microbiol. 37: 694-699 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Rappelli, P., Are, R., Casu, G., Fiori, P. L., Cappuccinelli, P., Aceti, A. (1998). Development of a Nested PCR for Detection of Cryptococcus neoformans in Cerebrospinal Fluid. J. Clin. Microbiol. 36: 3438-3440 [Abstract] [Full Text]