[Evaluation of Candida HA titer in patients with urinary tract infections]

The serum candida antibody (HA titer) was measured by means of indirect hemagglutination test in 28 patients with complicated urinary tract infections (UTI) and 11 control subjects. The peripheral lymphocytes subsets (OKT-3,4,8 and 4/8 ratio) were also examined in same patients. The 17 UTI patients who had Candida species in their urine had a higher HA titer than the other UTI patients without Candida or control subjects, but elderly UTI patients (over 71 years old) did not show higher HA titer. A positive correlation was seen between HA titer and OKT-3,4 or 4/8 ratio. On the other hand, HA titer and OKT-8 showed a negative relationship. Therefore, the ability to produce the candida antibody might be closely related to the host cellular immune responsiveness.