Comparison of coccidioidin and spherulin in complement fixation tests for coccidioidomycosis. 1977

M Huppert, and I Krasnow, and K R Vukovich, and S H Sun, and E H Rice, and L J Kutner

Coccidioidin, an extract from the saprophytic mycelial form of Coccidioides immitis, has been a very useful antigen preparation in serological tests for coccidioidomycosis. Its sensitivity has been very good for detecting most types of clinical disease, but tests with coccidioidin have been negative for 40% or more of patients with chronic pulmonary disease, the clinical entity which must be differentiated from other cavitary, nodular, or fibrotic pulmonary disease, e.g., tuberculosis and cancer. The specificity of coccidioidin has also been good although it results in positive tests for an average of 16% among patients with noncoccidioidal mycoses. Recently spherulin, an extract from the parasitic endosporulating spherule form of C. immitis, was reported to be more sensitive than coccidioidin in concurrent complement fixation tests with sera from selected cases. We have compared coccidioidin and spherulin in concurrent complement fixation tests with 614 sera submitted routinely for coccidioidal serology and with 159 selected sera from patients with noncoccidioidal mycoses. Among the former, spherulin was positive with 25% and coccidioidin with 23%, and correlation of titer scores was highly significant. Statistical analysis revealed no significant differences with respect to frequency of positive specimens, titer scores, or diagnosis for current coccidioidomycosis. The results with sera from noncoccidioidal mycoses revealed marked differences. Coccidioidin was positive with 20%, and spherulin was positive with 48%. The titer scores with spherulin were consistently and significantly higher, and there was no correlation for results with the two antigens. Thus, coccidioidin and spherulin were equally sensitive, but spherulin was considerably less specific.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D003045 Coccidioides A mitosporic fungal genus which causes COCCIDIOIDOMYCOSIS. Coccidioides immitis
D003046 Coccidioidin A sterile solution containing the by-products of growth products of COCCIDIOIDES IMMITIS, injected intracutaneously as a test for COCCIDIOIDOMYCOSIS.
D003047 Coccidioidomycosis Infection with a fungus of the genus COCCIDIOIDES, endemic to the SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES. It is sometimes called valley fever but should not be confused with RIFT VALLEY FEVER. Infection is caused by inhalation of airborne, fungal particles known as arthroconidia, a form of FUNGAL SPORES. A primary form is an acute, benign, self-limited respiratory infection. A secondary form is a virulent, severe, chronic, progressive granulomatous disease with systemic involvement. It can be detected by use of COCCIDIOIDIN. Coccidioides Infection,Coccidioides posadasii Infection,Coccidioidomycosis Infection,Coccidioides immitis Infection,San Joaquin Valley Fever,Valley Fever,Coccidioides Infections,Coccidioides immitis Infections,Coccidioides posadasii Infections,Coccidioidomycoses,Coccidioidomycosis Infections,Infection, Coccidioides,Infection, Coccidioides immitis,Infection, Coccidioides posadasii,Infection, Coccidioidomycosis,Valley Fevers
D003168 Complement Fixation Tests Serologic tests based on inactivation of complement by the antigen-antibody complex (stage 1). Binding of free complement can be visualized by addition of a second antigen-antibody system such as red cells and appropriate red cell antibody (hemolysin) requiring complement for its completion (stage 2). Failure of the red cells to lyse indicates that a specific antigen-antibody reaction has taken place in stage 1. If red cells lyse, free complement is present indicating no antigen-antibody reaction occurred in stage 1. Complement Absorption Test, Conglutinating,Conglutination Reaction,Conglutinating Complement Absorption Test,Complement Fixation Test,Conglutination Reactions,Fixation Test, Complement,Fixation Tests, Complement,Reaction, Conglutination,Reactions, Conglutination,Test, Complement Fixation,Tests, Complement Fixation
D000946 Antigens, Fungal Substances of fungal origin that have antigenic activity. Fungal Antigen,Fungal Antigens,Antigen, Fungal

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