Comparison of coccidioidal complement fixation and quantitative immunodiffusion serology at a reference laboratory

Med Mycol. 2024 Jan 9;62(1):myad121. doi: 10.1093/mmy/myad121.

Abstract

The incidence of coccidioidomycosis continues to increase. The diagnosis frequently relies on non-invasive diagnostic testing with immunodiffusion and complement fixation (CF) testing the current gold standard. A direct comparison of quantitative immunodiffusion and CF for IgG antibodies has not been previously reported. In a comparison of 368 samples, there was close concordance observed (360/368 = 97.8%) (P-value < .001). These tests can be considerably interchangeable in the reference laboratory setting.

Keywords: Coccidioides; prognosis; quantitative immunodiffusion; serology.

Plain language summary

There are several diagnostic methodologies available in coccidioidomycosis. Direct comparisons of these methods are limited. Prior studies have not compared quantitative immunodiffusion to complement fixation testing. Our results show these tests are highly concordant.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Fungal
  • Coccidioides*
  • Coccidioidomycosis* / diagnosis
  • Coccidioidomycosis* / veterinary
  • Complement Fixation Tests / veterinary
  • Immunodiffusion / veterinary

Substances

  • Antibodies, Fungal