ABSTRACT
A Lateral Flow Assay to detect cryptococcal antigen (CrAg® LFA) in serum and cerebrospinal fluid for the rapid diagnosis of cryptococcosis was evaluated. A retrospective validation was performed. Sensitivity and specificity of the CrAg® LFA was 100%. High concordance (kappa index=1.0) between Cryptococcal Antigen Latex Agglutination System (CALAS®) and CrAg® LFA was observed. CrAg® LFA showed higher analytical sensitivity for detecting low concentrations of cryptococcal antigen.
Subject(s)
Antigens, Fungal/blood , Antigens, Fungal/cerebrospinal fluid , Chromatography, Affinity/methods , Cryptococcosis/diagnosis , Cryptococcus/immunology , Colombia , Cryptococcosis/blood , Cryptococcosis/cerebrospinal fluid , Humans , Point-of-Care Testing , Reproducibility of Results , Retrospective Studies , Sensitivity and SpecificityABSTRACT
The natural habitat of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis remains undefined but the repeated demonstration of infection by this fungus in the nine-banded armadillo Dasypus novemcinctus has opened interesting research avenues. We report here the isolation of this fungus from the spleen of a naked-tailed armadillo Cabassous centralis (Miller 1899) captured in a coffee farm localized in the Colombian endemic area for paracoccidioidomycosis. This particular isolate was identified by its dimorphism and also by comparison of the PbGP43 gene and ribosomal internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS) with recognized P brasiliensis strains. This finding extends the range of naturally acquired infections in mammals of the family Dasypodidae and confirms the existence of this human pathogen in areas where human paracoccidioidomycosis is known to occur.
Subject(s)
Armadillos/microbiology , Paracoccidioides/isolation & purification , Animals , Colombia , DNA, Ribosomal Spacer/genetics , Genes, Fungal/genetics , Molecular Sequence Data , Paracoccidioides/genetics , Species Specificity , Spleen/microbiologyABSTRACT
A new orally absorbable triazole (Schering 39304) with a long serum half-life in man (60 hours), was tried in a murine model of progressive paracoccidioidomycosis and compared with itraconazole, another triazole which has proven effective in this mycosis. Only 15 of the infected, untreated mice survived while 53 to 75 of the animals receiving itraconazole survived. Mice treated with Schering 39304 exhibited higher (86-100) survival rates. Statistically, the 5 mg/kg Sch 39304 was superior to the 50 mg/kg itraconazole dose. Lung cultures showed that 20 mg/kg/day of Sch achieved sterilization of the infectious foci. These results indicate that the new triazole will have a place in the treatment of paracoccidioidomycosis.
