Detection of Antibodies against <i>Aspergillus fumigatus</i>: Comparison between Double Immunodiffusion, ELISA and Immunoblot Analysis

Abstract

The performance of ELISA to detect IgG and IgM antibodies to Aspergillus fumigatus has been evaluated in strongly precipitin-positive, weakly precipitin-positive and precipitin-negative patient sera, with immunoblot analysis as the confirmatory test. All strongly precipitin-positive sera contained increased IgG titers and showed clearly positive immunoblot patterns. Most of the weakly precipitin-positive sera contained ELISA titers within the normal range established with sera of healthy blood donors and showed normal immunoblot patterns. Increased titers of IgG and/or IgM were measured in one-sixth of the precipitin-negative patient sera. Immunoblot analysis confirmed the presence of antibodies to A. fumigatus in 55% of the precipitin-negative sera with increased antibody titers. ELISAs for A. fumigatus-specific IgG and IgM are sensitive tests for screening of patient sera. However, positive results with ELISA should be confirmed by means of immunoblot analysis.

Use of Recombinant Mitogillin for Improved Serodiagnosis ofAspergillus fumigatus-Associated Diseases

“…Crude and undefined antigen preparations of A. fumigatus are commonly used for antibody detection, but standardized immunodominant antigens which indicate invasive disease are still not available for A. fumigatus. As a consequence, profound difficulties exist in the interpretation of serological test results (5,7). We decided to investigate the usefulness of mitogillin for improving the serodiagnosis of aspergillosis.…”

Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis: rationale and clinical guidelines for diagnosis and management

“…A few cases of CPA are due to non-fumigatus Aspergilli, and similar presentations may be seen with chronic cavitary pulmonary histoplasmosis, coccidioidomycosis and Scedosporium spp. Data are few on the value, if any, of measuring A. fumigatus IgA [49,50] or IgM antibodies [48] and are, therefore, not recommended (SoR D and QoE III).…”

Analysis of IgG Subclass and IgE Response in Allergic Disease Caused by <i>Aspergillus fumigatus</i> by Immunoblotting Techniques

“…reactivity found only in this patient group; Discussion Several investigators have described Western blotting with subsequent IgG and IgE detection as a possible diag nostic tool in allergies caused by A.fumigatus [12][13][14][15][16], IgG subclass analysis by the ELISA technique was supposed to be of diagnostic value for ABPA and EAA [16][17][18], There fore, examination of IgG subclass and IgE response in al lergic diseases caused by A.fumigatus (allergic asthma, EAA and ABPA) with immunoblotting methods was a nat ural course to take.…”

“…Western blot with subsequent detection of IgG and IgE antibodies was described as a possible tool to improve the sérodiagnostics of allergic diseases caused by A.fumigatus [12][13][14][15]. On the other hand, a probable diagnostic value of the measurement of specific IgG subclasses in ABPA was shown by dot blot [16] and by ELISA technique [17].…”