A standardized densitometric immunoblotting analysis of Candida albicans protein allergens

Sera from 196 patients with a strong skin reactivity to Candida albicans and a history of atopic disease were used for C. albicans IgE-immunoblotting. The IgE-immunoblots were analysed by densitometry and integration of the densitogram peaks. A standardized reference disc system allowed parallel analysis of several different immunoblotting experiments. Altogether 105 patients had C. albicans-specific IgE antibodies in immunoblotting. The IgE-response against C. albicans was extremely polyspecific and was directed against 42 different bands. The most important IgE binding bands were 46 kDa and 27 kDa bands against which 44 (42%) and 29 (28%) patients, respectively, had IgE responses. A combination of IgE-immunoblotting and densitometry was found practical in analysis of large number of patient sera allowing a profound and accurate analysis and characterization of C. albicans allergen extract. This data evolved from a sufficiently large patient population can be utilized in further standardization of C. albicans extracts.