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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, September 2002, p. 3179-3183, Vol. 40, No. 9
0095-1137/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JCM.40.9.3179-3183.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Development and Evaluation of Rapid Urinary Antigen Detection Tests for Diagnosis of Penicilliosis Marneffei

Varunee Desakorn,1 Andrew J. H. Simpson,2,3,{dagger}* Vanaporn Wuthiekanun,2 Duangjai Sahassananda,2 Adul Rajanuwong,4 Punnee Pitisuttithum,1 Paul A. Howe,2,3 Michael D. Smith,2,3,{ddagger} and Nicholas J. White2,3

Clinical Infectious Diseases Research Unit, Department of Clinical Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine ,1 Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok,2 Department of Medicine, Sappasitprasong Hospital, Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand,4 Centre for Tropical Medicine, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom3

Received 14 February 2002/ Returned for modification 25 April 2002/ Accepted 17 June 2002

Penicilliosis, caused by the dimorphic fungus Penicillium marneffei, is an important opportunistic systemic fungal infection affecting immunocompromised individuals living in areas where penicilliosis is endemic. We have demonstrated previously that a urinary enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with purified rabbit polyclonal antibody against killed whole-fission-form arthroconidia of P. marneffei was specific and highly sensitive for the diagnosis of penicilliosis. In this study, a dot blot ELISA and a latex agglutination (LA) test were developed with the same polyclonal antibody and compared with the ELISA for the detection of P. marneffei urinary antigen. Urine specimens from 37 patients with culture-proven penicilliosis and 300 controls (52 healthy subjects and 248 hospitalized patients without penicilliosis) were tested. Antigen was detected in urine from all 37 (100%) penicilliosis patients by the LA test, 35 (94.6%) penicilliosis patients by the dot blot ELISA, and 36 (97.3%) penicilliosis patients by the ELISA. False-positive results were found by the three assays for 2 (0.7%), 8 (2.7%), and 6 (2%) of 300 controls, respectively. The overall sensitivities of the diagnostic tests were as follows: dot blot ELISA, 94.6%; ELISA, 97.3%; and LA test, 100% (specificities, 97.3, 98, and 99.3%, respectively). The LA test is simple, robust, rapid, and convenient and should prove to be an important addition to the existing diagnostic tests for penicilliosis.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Medical Microbiology, Royal Free Hospital, Pond St., London NW3 2QG, United Kingdom. Phone: 44 20 7830 2669. Fax: 44 20 7830 2008. E-mail: a.simpson{at}rfc.ucl.ac.uk.

{dagger} Present address: Department of Medical Microbiology, Royal Free Campus, Royal Free and University College Medical School, University College London, London, United Kingdom.

{ddagger} Present address: Public Health Laboratory, Taunton and Somerset Hospital, Taunton, United Kingdom.

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, September 2002, p. 3179-3183, Vol. 40, No. 9
0095-1137/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JCM.40.9.3179-3183.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Vanittanakom, N., Cooper, C. R. Jr., Fisher, M. C., Sirisanthana, T. (2006). Penicillium marneffei Infection and Recent Advances in the Epidemiology and Molecular Biology Aspects. Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 19: 95-110 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


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