[Production of fungal antigens from local strains for the immunodiagnosis of mycoses in Mexico]

Abstract

Fungal antigens with good reactivity and specificity are essential for the immunodiagnosis of systemic mycoses. We give here data on crude and purified antigens of Histoplasma capsulatum, Coccidioidis immitis and Paracoccidioides brasiliensis from local strains and which are the more prevalent in Mexico. The crude antigens had good reactivity in precipitating and skin testing whereas the purified antigens (DPPC: deproteinized polysaccharide protein complex) had a higher specificity in more sensitive tests such as ELISA and complement fixation. Our efficiency analysis showed that the crude antigens are best for epidemiologic studies due to their low cost, easy handling and fast detection. The purified ones are suited to establish with more precision the diagnosis of systemic mycoses.