Regarding the antigenic structure of coccidioidomycosis and histoplasmosis pathogens

Pechenkina L.A., Tereshko D.L., Plekhanova N.G., Novitskaya I.V.

Federal Government Health Institution «Volgograd Plague Control Researsh Institute» of Federal Service for Surveillance in the Sphere of Consumers Rights Protection and Human Welfare, Volgograd, Russia

Immunological methods, which are a key part of laboratory diagnosis of especially dangerous mycoses, are based on the use of pathogen antigens and antibodies to them. However, pronounced cross-interactions of micromycetes complicate the interpretation of immunological analysis results, therefore the search for specific immunodominant antigen complexes of pathogens is an urgent task of mycological research. Based on the results of studying the antigenic spectra of fungi Coccidioides spp. and Histoplasma spp. рromising candidates for the role of immunoreagents with molecular weights of 18, 40 and 60 kDa, significant for confirming the diagnosis of coccidioidomycosis and histoplasmosis, were identified.