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Comparison of commercial kits for detection of cryptococcal antigen.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Tanner, DC; Weinstein, MP; Fedorciw, B; Joho, KL; Thorpe, JJ; Reller, L
Published in: J Clin Microbiol
July 1994

Although kits to detect cryptococcal antigen are used widely to diagnose cryptococcal infection, the comparative performance of commercially available assays has not been evaluated in the past decade. Therefore, we compared the sensitives and specificities of five commercially available kits for detecting cryptococcal antigen (four latex agglutination test kits--Calas [Meridian Diagnostics])--Crypto-LA [International Biological Labs], Myco-Immune [MicroScan], and Immy [Immunomycologics]--and an enzyme immunoassay kit, Premier [Meridian Diagnostics]) with culture for the diagnosis of cryptococcal meningitis and fungemia. Of 182 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and 90 serum samples submitted for cryptococcal antigen and fungal culture, 49 (19 and 30 samples, respectively) from 20 patients had a culture positive for Cryptococcus neoformans. For CSF specimens, the sensitivities and specificities of all kits were comparable (sensitivity, 93 to 100%; specificity, 93 to 98%). There was a significant difference in sensitivities of the kits when serum samples were tested with the International Biological Labs and MicroScan kits, which do not pretreat serum with pronase. These kits were less sensitive (sensitivity, 83%) than the Immy and Meridian latex kits (sensitivity, 97%), which do pretreat with pronase. The sensitivity of the Meridian enzyme immunoassay kit was comparable to that of the pronase-containing latex kits. These kits were of equivalent specificities (93 to 100%) when testing serum. Some of the currently available kits have limitations that need to be recognized for proper interpretation of results. Specifically, the use of pronase on serum samples reduces the number of false-positive results, and a titer of < or = 1:4 can be a false-positive result when CSF samples are being tested.

Duke Scholars

Published In

J Clin Microbiol

DOI

ISSN

0095-1137

Publication Date

July 1994

Volume

32

Issue

7

Start / End Page

1680 / 1684

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Reagent Kits, Diagnostic
  • Mycology
  • Microbiology
  • Latex Fixation Tests
  • Immunoenzyme Techniques
  • Humans
  • False Positive Reactions
  • False Negative Reactions
  • Cryptococcus neoformans
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Tanner, D. C., Weinstein, M. P., Fedorciw, B., Joho, K. L., Thorpe, J. J., & Reller, L. (1994). Comparison of commercial kits for detection of cryptococcal antigen. J Clin Microbiol, 32(7), 1680–1684. https://doi.org/10.1128/jcm.32.7.1680-1684.1994
Tanner, D. C., M. P. Weinstein, B. Fedorciw, K. L. Joho, J. J. Thorpe, and L. Reller. “Comparison of commercial kits for detection of cryptococcal antigen.J Clin Microbiol 32, no. 7 (July 1994): 1680–84. https://doi.org/10.1128/jcm.32.7.1680-1684.1994.
Tanner DC, Weinstein MP, Fedorciw B, Joho KL, Thorpe JJ, Reller L. Comparison of commercial kits for detection of cryptococcal antigen. J Clin Microbiol. 1994 Jul;32(7):1680–4.
Tanner, D. C., et al. “Comparison of commercial kits for detection of cryptococcal antigen.J Clin Microbiol, vol. 32, no. 7, July 1994, pp. 1680–84. Pubmed, doi:10.1128/jcm.32.7.1680-1684.1994.
Tanner DC, Weinstein MP, Fedorciw B, Joho KL, Thorpe JJ, Reller L. Comparison of commercial kits for detection of cryptococcal antigen. J Clin Microbiol. 1994 Jul;32(7):1680–1684.

Published In

J Clin Microbiol

DOI

ISSN

0095-1137

Publication Date

July 1994

Volume

32

Issue

7

Start / End Page

1680 / 1684

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Reagent Kits, Diagnostic
  • Mycology
  • Microbiology
  • Latex Fixation Tests
  • Immunoenzyme Techniques
  • Humans
  • False Positive Reactions
  • False Negative Reactions
  • Cryptococcus neoformans