Humoral immune responses to Candida albicans complement receptor 3-related protein in the atopic subjects with vulvovaginal candidiasis. Novel sensitive marker for Candida infection.

In vitro evaluation of specific anti-Candida albicans sera antibodies based on synthetically prepared complement receptor 3-related protein (CR3-RP) mimicking the structure of native complement receptor 3 in a cohort of 72 patients with atopy and recurrent Candida vulvovaginitis (RVC) revealed effective humoral response against Candida CR3-RP. The most significant have been IgM and IgA isotype antibodies (33 and 47% positive cases, respectively). The quantitative evaluation of anti-CR3RP isotype antibodies was confronted with results of commercial ELISA anti-C. albicans antibodies diagnostics based on C. albicans cell wall mannan and β-glucan antigens, the most significant correlation being observed with anti-CR3-RP IgM and anti-β-D-glucan IgM (r(2) = 0.624) followed by isotype IgA (r(2) = 0.381). The immunogenicity and immunoreactivity of CR3RP antigen in RVC patients' sera had been evaluated with regard to the results reached by counterimmunoelectrophoresis and heterogeneous enzyme immunoassay. Obviously, synthetically prepared CR3-RP mimicking the Candida cell-wall-derived structure moiety represents a promising immunological tool not only for Candida serodiagnostics, but also prospectively for follow-up of targeted antifungal therapy and as promising Candida vaccine candidate.