Diagnostic problems in patients allergic to or chronically infected by Candida

ABSTRACT

The present work was carried out on 120 cases classified into 4 groups Group I included 40 patients allergic to C and ida albicans, group II included 40 patients with current vaginal c and idiasis [RCV], group III included 20 nonallergic cases with one episode of vaginal c and idiasis and group IV included 20 nonallergic cases. All the cases were subjected to skin testing using 6 different antigenic extracts from C and ida albicans. Specific IgE was also determined using crude C and ida-allergen coupled to CNBr discs. All C and ida albicans extracts gave positive intradermal test [IDR] among patients allergic to C and ida albicans. Also, many female cases with RCV showed positive skin reactions with different extracts. The allergic patients [Group I] reacted more intensively to the polysaccharides extracts CCF and MAN-I-Ag. Enzyme Immune Assay [EIA] technique used to measure specific IgE to crude Ag was less sensitive than skin testing. This work confirmed the role of cell wall allergens of C and ida albicans in atopic patients and suggested the presence of specific allergens related to clinical allergy and others representative of infection with C and ida albicans