Use of recombinant antigens for the diagnosis of invasive candidiasis

Abstract

Invasive candidiasis is a frequent and often fatal complication in immunocompromised and critically ill patients. Unfortunately, the diagnosis of invasive candidiasis remains difficult due to the lack of specific clinical symptoms and a definitive diagnostic method. The detection of antibodies against different Candida antigens may help in the diagnosis. However, the methods traditionally used for the detection of antibodies have been based on crude antigenic fungal extracts, which usually show low-reproducibility and cross-reactivity problems. The development of molecular biology techniques has allowed the production of recombinant antigens which may help to solve these problems. In this review we will discuss the usefulness of recombinant antigens in the diagnosis of invasive candidiasis.

Figure 1

Kinetics of antibody levels against different C. albicans recombinant proteins in a patient with invasive candidiasis. Ece 1 (O), Hyr1 (♦), Als3 (•), enolase (□), and Hwp1 (Δ). Arrows point to the days where cultures of urine and blood yielded C. albicans. The bar shows the days the patient was treated with fluconazole.