Anti-candida antibodies in human serum. Detection and definition of Ig classes by a new elution technique.

The Partigen Elution Test (P.E.T.), a partially quantitative method for the determination of Ig classes to which the antibodies against superficial Candida antigens belong, has been assessed. The sensitivity of the test is comparable to that of the Ouchterlony test. The P.E.T. has the advantage of simplicity, great reproducibility and absolute specificity. With P.E.T. the level of single class antibodies can be quantitated on the basis of the diameter of immunoprecipitation ring. It seems possible to establish a correlation between the number of precipitation lines in the Ouchterlony test and the diameter of the precipitation ring in LC-Partigen plates. In addition as association among the width of the ring diameter, the Ig classes implicated and the severity of Candida affection is apparent.