Analysis index

Pathogen detection: Swabs, urine, stool, secretion, CSF, blood culture

Antigen demonstration: 1 ml blood, 1 ml CSF

Antibody evidence: 1 ml serum

Candida antigen: < 1:4 titer

IgG: < 40 – 100 U/ml

IgA: < 60 – 80 U/ml

IgM: < 60 – 80 U/ml

Mucocutaneous or systemic candidiasis

Candida infections or so-called candidiasis are opportunistic, preferably localized infections. Up to 80 % of persons are inhabited mainly by candida albicans. Under certain conditions such as immunosuppression or antibiotic treatment, it can come to an infection. Mucocutaneous candidiasis are frequent and marked by the typical picture of whitish coating. In case of missing typical symptoms, pathogen cultivation is the method of choice. Rarely, life threatening systemic mycosis can be found in severely ill, immunosuppressed patients. On suspicion of invasive diseases, pathogen demonstration should be done via blood cultures, antigen demonstration may also be of help. The significance of an individual antigen demonstration is limited, therefore, several repeat tests are recommended. Increased antibody titer can be expected in case of systemic candida infections, sometimes also in mucocutaneous candidiasis, whereby both types cannot be differentiated serologically. Titer increase x 4 indicates invasive infection, however, the increase may be absent in immunosuppressed patients.

Please also refer to section “Molecular fungal diagnostics, multiplex PCR”