IMMUNODIAGNOSTIC ASSAY FOR INVASIVE CANDIDIASIS

INVASIVE AND DISSEMINATED INFECTION WITH THE FUNGAL OPPORTUNIST, CANDIDA ALBICANS, IS A FREQUENT, SERIOUS COMPLICATION ASSOCIATED WITH COMPROMISED IMMUNITY ARISING FROM DISEASE AND/OR THERAPEUTIC REGIMENS. TREATMENT FOR INVASIVE CANDIDIASIS IS AVAILABLE BUT IS DEPENDENT ON TIMELY DIAGNOSIS. THIS PROJECT WILL DEVELOP A SENSITIVE, DOUBLE-ANTIBODY ANTIGEN-CAPTURE ENZYME IMMUNOASSAY (EIA) THAT WILL DETECT CANDIDA ANTIGENS IN THE SERUM OF PATIENTS WITH CANDIDA INFECTIONS OF DEEP TISSUES. PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION HAS RESULTED IN THE PRODUCTION OF MURINE MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES AND GOAT ANTISERA THAT CAN SERVE AS PRIMARY AND DEVELOPING ANTIBODIES FOR THE DETECTIONOF MANNANS PRODUCED IN HOST TISSUES. FURTHER WORK WILL CONCENTRATE ON THE PRODUCTION OF MONOCLONAL AND POLYCLONAL ANTIBODIES TO SEROTYPE-SPECIFIC MANNANS OF C. ALBICANS AND TO AN ADDITIONAL INVASIVE SPECIES, C. TROPICALIS. THE ADDITIONAL REAGENTS DEVELOPED IN THIS PROJECT WILL BE USED TO FURTHER ENHANCE THE DEVELOPMENT OF SENSITIVE EIA'S FOR THE DIAGNOSIS OF INVASIVE CANDIDA INFECTIONS.