[Application of a co-electrosyneresis reaction to the diagnosis and serological surveillance of candidiasis in a hospital milieu].

We have previously described a co-immunofiltration reaction which identifies a specific precipitating system (SPCS) in sera from patients presenting systemic candidiasis. The SPCS is characterized by coalescence with an experimental serum directed against the germinative tubes of Candida albicans. The present study concerns our experience of the use of co-immunofiltration in routine hospital practice. Complete observations involving clinical, mycological and serologic data were selected in order to illustrate various possible developmental trends for SPCS during candidiasis. The SPCS usually develops early infections due to the yeast species most frequently implicated in hospital pathologies; an increase in its intensity reflects a developing infection or the start of therapy. The SPCS disappears slowly and gradually when infectious development is favorable, but its sudden disappearance represents an unfavorable prognosis correlated with detection of circulating antigens. Circulating antigens are also seen in severe cases of candidiasis in which the SPCS is not present. Indeed there is a certain complementarity between these two observations.