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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, June 2004, p. 2786-2788, Vol. 42, No. 6
0095-1137/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JCM.42.6.2786-2788.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Immunoreactivity of Cryptococcal Antigen Is Not Stable under Prolonged Incubations in Human Serum

Diane C. McFadden,^1, Oscar Zaragoza,^1, and Arturo Casadevall^1,2*

Departments of Medicine,¹ Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York²

Received 28 January 2004/ Returned for modification 18 February 2004/ Accepted 25 February 2004

The stability of cryptococcal antigen from Cryptococcus neoformans serotype A and D strains at different temperatures in serum and other solvents was studied. Samples stored at –20 or 4°C had equivalent stabilities as measured by the Premier Cryptococcal Antigen kit and the Cryptococcal Antigen Latex Agglutination System (CALAS) kit. However, using the Premier Cryptococcal Antigen kit, there was a 91% loss of reactivity in samples incubated in human serum for 4 weeks at 37°C. A loss of reactivity of more than 99% was observed after incubation at 45°C for 4 weeks. The capsular antigen was not detected by the Premier Cryptococcal Antigen kit after 16 weeks at elevated temperatures. Antigen titers were also reduced in a latex agglutination assay (CALAS) after 4 weeks at 37 and 45°C. The loss of antigen reactivity was a function of pH and temperature.

D.C.M. and O.Z. contributed equally to this work.

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