MOLECULAR AND MICROBIOLOGICAL APPROACHES FOR RAPID ETIOLOGICAL DIAGNOSIS OF SYSTEMIC MYCOSES

Abstract

The review presents common laboratory methods for the diagnosis of the majority of invasive fungal diseases, i. e. candidosis, aspergillosis and cryptococcosis. Some studies reveal an increasing range of the infectious agents such as Trichosporon and endemic fungal pathogens like Histoplasma, Blastomyces and Coccidioides. The most common serological tests for antigen and antibody-detection in body fluids (serum, plasma, bronchoalveolar lavage) are: indirect immunofluorescense, ELISA – Platelia (enzyme linked immunosorbent assay), latex-agglutination, immunodiffusion and molecular techniques like PCR and Real Time PCR. Not only current data on invasive fungal disease diagnostic methods are reviewed, but also studies on new biomarkers and recent discoveries in molecular diagnostics. New molecular approaches are needed to provide faster results.