| APPENDIX 3: FUNGAL-INFECTION BLOOD TESTS |
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DISEASE AND NORMAL VALUES INDICATE
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WHAT ABNORMAL MAY INDICATE
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| ASPERGILLOSIS |
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- Complement Fixation:
titer less than 1:8
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- Possible aspergillious infection
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- Immunodiffusion:
negative
|
|
| BLASTOMYCOSIS |
- Complement fixation:
titers less than 1:8
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- Titers ranging from 1:8 to 1:16
suggest infection.
- Titers greater than 1:32 denote
active disease.
- A rising titer in serial samples taken every 3 to 4 weeks indicates disease progression.
- A falling titer indicates
regression. This test has limited diagnostic value due to high percentage of
false-negative results.
|
Immunodiffusion:
negative |
Infection with blastomycosis -- 80% accurate.
|
| COCCIDIOIDOMYCOSIS |
| Complement fixation: titers less than 1:2 |
- Titers ranging from 1:2 to 1:4 suggest active infection; titers greater than 1:16
usually denote active disease.
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Immunodiffusion:
- Negative Precipitan: titers less than 1:8
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- Screening test requires complement fixation test for confirmation.
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| CRYPTOCOCCOSIS |
Latex agglutination for cryptococcal antigen: negative
|
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| HISTOPLASMOSIS |
- Complement fixation histoplasmin: titers less than 1:8
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- Titers ranging from 1:8 to 1:16 suggest infection.
- Titers greater than 1:32 indicate active disease.
- Antibodies generally appear 10 to
21 days after initial infection.
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- Complement fixation (yeast):
titers less than 1:18
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- Antibodies generally appear 10 to 21 days after initial infection
- Rising titer in serial samples taken every 2 or 3 weeks indicates regression.
- Titers ranging from 1:8 to 1:16 suggest infection.
- Titers greater than 1:32 indicate active disease.
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- Immunodiffusion (histoplasm): negative
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- Appearance of both H and M bands indicates active infection
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| SPOROTRICHOSIS |
- Agglutination: titers less than 1:40
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- Titers of greater than 1:80 usually indicate active disease.
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