Comparison of Detection of Antibodies with Yeast Lysate Antigens Prepared from Two Isolates of Blastomyces dermatitidis by Two Different Methods: Sensitivity and Specificity Evaluations

Blastomycosis, a systemic fungal disease, caused by the dimorphic fungus Blastomyces dermatitidis, has continually presented clinicians with concerns with regard to laboratory diagnosis and prevention. For years researchers have strived to develop antigens with a high degree of sensitivity and specificity. The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of how two novel yeast lysate antigens, prepared from two B. dermatitidis isolates by different methods, would be able to detect antibody responses in immunized rabbits in a specific and sensitive manner. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to evaluate antibody in serum specimens with yeast lysate reagents prepared after allowing yeast cells to lyse for 1 or 7 days. The results indicated that reactivity was greater with the day 7 antigens, with both the B5896 and 597 B. dermatitidis isolates, when compared to the day 1 antigens; in contrast the day 1 preparations exhibited less cross reactivity when assayed against anti-Histoplasma capsulatum serum specimens.