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Role of western blot assay for the diagnosis of histoplasmosis in AIDS patients from a National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Summary Background Histoplasmosis is a frequent fungal infection in HIV/AIDS patients, with high morbimortality rates when diagnosis and treatment are delayed. Antibody detection, which is faster than the gold standard culture test, hastens the laboratory investigation. Objectives To evaluate the ro...
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Published in: | Mycoses 2019-03, Vol.62 (3), p.261-267 |
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Main Authors: | , , , , , |
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Subjects: | |
Citations: | Items that this one cites Items that cite this one |
Online Access: | Get full text |
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Background
Histoplasmosis is a frequent fungal infection in HIV/AIDS patients, with high morbimortality rates when diagnosis and treatment are delayed. Antibody detection, which is faster than the gold standard culture test, hastens the laboratory investigation.
Objectives
To evaluate the role of WB for antibody detection in the diagnosis of histoplasmosis among HIV/AIDS patients.
Patients and Methods
Fifty patients with proven or probable histoplasmosis were included. Clinical, epidemiological and laboratory data were described in the same population after a review of their medical records. WB was performed using deglycosylated histoplasmin.
Results
About 82% of patients were adult males and the mean age was 39.3 years. CD4+ T lymphocyte count less than 150 cells/mm3 was observed in 62% patients. Antibodies against Histoplasma capsulatum M antigen were detected in 62% of patients, and against both M and H antigens in 28% of individuals. Sera from 10% of patients were nonreactive. Histoplasmosis was the first opportunistic infection in 38% of the cases. Disseminated and pulmonary histoplasmosis occurred in 84% and 16% of patients, respectively. The overall mortality was 16%.
Conclusion
WB could be useful for the histoplasmosis diagnosis in HIV/AIDS patients because of its easefulness and good sensitivity in a population where antibody production is hampered. |
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ISSN: | 0933-7407 1439-0507 |
DOI: | 10.1111/myc.12877 |