Combination of Conventional and Endotoxin-Specific Limulus Tests for Measurement of Polysaccharides in Sera of Rabbits with Experimental Systemic Candidiasis

MIYAZAKI, T., KOHNO, S., MITSUTAKE, K., YAMADA, H., YASUOKA, A., MAESAKI, S., KAKU, M., KOGA, H, and HARA, K. Combination of Conventional and Endotoxin-Specific Limulus Tests for Measurement of Polysaccharides in Sera of Rabbits with Experimental Systemic Candidiasis. Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 1992, 168 (1), 1-9-Factor G, the coagulation enzyme from limulus amebocytes, is activated by (1→3)-β-D-glucan but not by endotoxin. The endotoxin-specific limulus test, which is devoid of fator G, reacts only with endotoxin. However, the conventional limulus test which includes factors G and C, reacts with not only endotoxin but also with (1→3)-β-D-glucan. In this study, the culture supernatant of Candida albicans in RPMI medium activated the conventional limulus test, but not the endotoxin-specific limulus test. All five rabbits inoculated intravenously with Candida albicans (1.0×107 CFU/rabbit) showed increased levels of reactivity with the conventional limulus test, whereas no elevation in the levels of the endotoxin-specific limulus test was observed in the sera of any infected rabbits. Only one serum sample from rabbit No. 5 on day 8 showed a positive Cand-tectest. The difference in the titers of the two limulus tests was suggestive of a diagnosis of Candida infection.-limulus test; serological diagnosis; β-glucan; polysaccharide; candidiasis