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Infect Immun. 1974 May; 9(5): 788-793
Copyright © 1974 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Assessment of Germ Tube Dispersion Activity of Serum from Experimental Candidiasis: a New Procedure for Serodiagnosis

Division of Bacteriology and Serology, Chest Disease Research Institute, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan

ABSTRACT

Germ tubes of Candida albicans and C. stellatoidea clump in normal serum but disperse in serum from animals infected with either species of Candida. A new procedure for the assessment of grades of germ tube dispersion activity of serum is presented; this procedure is to count the number of freely dispersed germ tubes in test serum into which a definite number of yeast-type C. albicans has been inoculated. The relationship between the serum activity and macroscopic lesions caused by candidal infection is observed, indicating the possibility of applying the phenomenon to the serodiagnosis of deep-seated candidiasis. The specificity and sensitivity of the test are also examined.