Relationship between histoplasmin skin test and Histoplasma capsulatum antibody levels detected by ELISA and immunodiffusion tests

Abstract

A prospective study was carried out in two groups of individuals: a group 1 (n=40) included workers from a poultry farm, with potencial occupational risk of exposure to Histoplasma capsulatum, ethiologic agent of histoplasmosis, and a group 2 (n=16), persons without occupational risk of exposure to the agent. Histoplasmin skin test was performed in both groups, and three sera were obtained from each individual: 1) before skin test was done, 2) 30 days after, and 3) 180 days after it. In both groups the histoplasmin skin test, even when the test was positive, was not a sufficient antigenic booster to provoque an increase in the H. capsulatum antibody levels capable to be detected by the Serologic tests used (ELISA and Double Immunodiffusion). These results contribute to improve the interpretation of ELISA test values in the diagnosis of histoplasmosis.