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Aspergillosis test: antibodies to the causative agent of aspergillosis in the blood
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Antibodies to the causative agent of aspergillosis in serum are not normally present.
The causative agent of aspergillosis is opportunistic mold fungi of the genus Aspergillus - aspergillus. The disease is characterized by the prevalence of the defeat of the organs of the bronchopulmonary system. Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis is found in 1-2% of patients with chronic asthma. The diagnosis of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis is raised if a combination of the following symptoms is detected in the examination (present in more than 90% of patients):
- seizures of bronchial asthma;
- the number of eosinophils in the peripheral blood is more than 1 × 10 9 / l (often more than 3 × 10 9 / l);
- rapidly disappearing or long-lasting limited shading on chest radiographs;
- bronchiectasis in the area of large bronchi in the absence of changes in the smaller bronchi in computed tomography or bronchography;
- positive skin tests with the antigen Aspergillus;
- increase in the total IgE in the blood serum (usually more than 1000 IU / ml);
- an increase in Aspergillus- specific IgE and IgG;
- the detection of antibodies to the causative agent of aspergillosis in the blood serum.
At microscopy of smears and in cultures of sputum pathogens of disease reveal more than in 60% of patients. Because Aspergillus is widely distributed everywhere and can accidentally enter the culture, their detection in a single crop can not be a reliable sign of aspergillosis.
When serological testing of IgG antibodies against Aspergillus antigens is detected in the blood serum of the majority of infected and practically in all patients, in lungs of which a fungal "ball" was detected in the lungs (about 90% of cases). The test has 100% specificity. It is important to investigate the antibody titer in dynamics. Aspergillosis is characterized by an increase in the antibody titer.
More sensitive serological diagnosis of aspergillosis is the detection of antigens (galactomann) aspergillus in the blood. Use latex test and ELISA method (more sensitive). The sensitivity of ELISA to galactomann is 50-60%, with repeated examination it reaches 90%, the specificity is 90-100%.
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