[Detection of anti-Histoplasma capsulatum antibodies by the ELISA technique. Preliminary study]. / Detección de anticuerpos anti-Histoplasma capsulatum mediante la técnica de ELISA. Estudio preliminar.

An indirect micro-ELISA system is presented for diagnosing histoplasmosis. The diagnostic criteria are defined by using sera from 12 patients who are histoplasmosis carriers. For this group, the optical density values were superior to 1,000; use was made of 43 sera from blood bank donors and 9 sera from children without a history of exposure. The optical density values in these cases were inferior to 0,200. The significant difference found led to the diagnostic criterion for confirming 3 histoplasmosis carriers who showed clinical manifestations but had been negative to double immunodiffusion. Thus, the usefulness of the proposed micro-ELISA system for early diagnosis was proved.

[Evaluation of an ELISA for the detection of anti-Aspergillus fumigatus antibodies]. / Evaluación de un ELISA para la detección de anticuerpos anti-Aspergillus fumigatus.

An indirect MicroELISA system for the detection of anti-Aspergillus fumigatus antibodies using human anti-IgG conjugated to peroxidase was standardized. Serum samples of two patients having an aspergilloma diagnosed by clinical, microbiological, and serological criteria were used as positive controls. In addition, 119 serum samples of blood donors and 216 serum samples of patients having chronic pneumopathies were also studied. The standardized system may be used as a diagnostic complement for it is able to discriminate between antibody levels (IgG) in different clinical forms of aspergillosis and in those individuals having respiratory diseases which may favour the colonization by this pathogen.

[Use of an inhibition method of ELISA in the serologic diagnosis of dengue. Preliminary report]. / Utilización de un método de inhibición de ELISA en el diagnóstico serológico del dengue. Reporte preliminar.

This paper reports the standardization of an ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) inhibition method for the serologic diagnosis of dengue, with the use of non-purified antigen. The conditions and criteria of the test for detection of antibodies for a group of 82 sera (12 monosera and 35 paired sera) are established. The results are compared with those obtained by hemagglutination inhibition and a good agreement between the two tests, as well as greater sensitivity of ELISA, is found. Some advantages of this technique in connection with hemagglutination inhibition are listed; they are: easy performance, rapidity, no need for serum treatment, and the use of viral suspensions without using any method of extraction.