ABSTRACT
Objective To use phage display for generating surrogate peptides of candida albicans mycelial-phase protein as mimic antigen to develop an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) assay for detection of candida albicans antibodies.Methods A monoclonal antibody against candida albicans mycelial-phase protein P47, was used in this study for selecting immunoreactive peptides, mimotopes, from a 12 mer phage library.The peptides were characterized immunologically and used for coating antigen in ELISA to detect antibodies against candida albicans in the patients' serum.Results The sensitivity, specificity and replication of the ELISA assay was good enough for clinical use. The antibody was positive in all of 10 samples of patients with confirmed systemic candida albicans infection and the results were same to those obtained with the purified mycelial-phase protein P47; The positive rates in patients receiving immunosuppressive drug cyclosporin A are 33% and the healthy 2% respectively.Conclusion The surrogate peptides from a 12 mer phage library can be used in ELISA for detecting the antibodies of candida albicans P47.