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Appl Environ Microbiol. 1970 May; 19(5): 830-836
Copyright © 1970 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Application of Agglutinins for the Rapid and Accurate Identification of Medically Important Candida Species ¹

Department of Parasitology and Laboratory Practice, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514
National Communicable Disease Center, Atlanta, Georgia 30333

ABSTRACT

Agglutinins have been prepared against the medically important Candida species. Crude antisera to the various species demonstrated intense cross-reactions with heterologous yeastlike fungi as well as with many true yeasts. However, carefully monitored adsorptions of selected antisera allowed the production of six factor sera that proved useful in a slide agglutination test. These six sera permitted the rapid and specific identification of C. guilliermondii, C. krusei, C. parapsilosis, and C. pseudotropicalis. They also allowed the delineation of two groups: (i) C. albicans (type A)-C. tropicalis and (ii) C. albicans (type B)-C. stellatoidea. C. albicans type A could be readily distinguished from C. tropicalis by its ability to form germ tubes in serum. C. stellatoidea could be distinguished from C. albicans type B by its predominantly filamentous growth on a nutritionally deficient medium. The medically important Candida species could be identified within 24 hr by the combined use of serological and morphological procedures.

² Present address: Texas State Department of Health, Austin, Tex. 78756.

¹ A portion of a dissertation submitted by the first author to the University of North Carolina in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Public Health in the School of Public Health.