Monitoring gp43 antigenemia in Paracoccidioidomycosis patients during therapy

J Clin Microbiol. 2004 Jun;42(6):2419-24. doi: 10.1128/JCM.42.6.2419-2424.2004.

Abstract

Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is a systemic fungal disease that is particularly important among individuals living and working in rural areas of endemicity in Latin America. Detection of anti-Paracoccidioides brasiliensis antibodies is of limited value due to false-negative results. Detection of P. brasiliensis-gp43 circulating antigen is a practical approach for a specific diagnosis of the disease. In a previous study we described an inhibition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay able to detect the 43-kDa P. brasiliensis antigen in sera of 100% of patients with the acute form of PCM and in 95.31 and 100% of patients with the chronic multifocal and unifocal forms of PCM. To investigate its potential application for the follow-up of PCM patients during treatment, antigen levels were monitored at regular intervals for up 8 to 12 months in serum samples from 23 patients. The results showed that treatment with itraconazole resulted in decreasing levels of circulating gp43 that were correlated with the reduction of anti-gp43 antibodies. It was also observed that by the end of 12 months of treatment gp43 levels were <5 microg/ml in all patients.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Antigens, Fungal / blood*
  • Fungal Proteins*
  • Glycoproteins / blood*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Paracoccidioidomycosis / drug therapy*
  • Paracoccidioidomycosis / immunology
  • Xenopus Proteins / blood*

Substances

  • 43 kDa protein, Paracoccidioides
  • Antigens, Fungal
  • Fungal Proteins
  • Glycoproteins
  • Xenopus Proteins