Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How accurate is the cryptococcal antigen test for dogs and cats?
By Langner, Kathrin F A & Yang, Wen-Jie·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2022·Western Australian Veterinary Emergency and Specialty, Australia·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Clinical performance of the IMMY cryptococcal antigen lateral flow assay in dogs and cats.
Plain-English summary
A study looked at a new test for cryptococcosis, a fungal infection, in dogs and cats. The test, called the IMMY cryptococcal antigen lateral flow assay, was found to be very reliable for ruling out the infection. If the test result is negative, it strongly suggests that the pet does not have cryptococcosis. However, if the test is positive, it’s important to do more tests to confirm the diagnosis. This means that while the test can help identify pets that are clear of the infection, a positive result needs further investigation.
People also search for: dog cryptococcosis test · cat fungal infection symptoms · cryptococcal antigen test reliability
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Cryptococcal lateral flow antigen assays (CLFAs) have been assessed in comparison to the latex cryptococcal antigen agglutination test but their clinical performance is unknown. OBJECTIVE: Determine clinical performance of IMMY CLFA (Immuno-Mycologics Inc, Oklahoma) using patients with and without cryptococcosis as the reference standard. ANIMALS: One-hundred ninety-seven serum samples from client-owned dogs and cats. METHODS: Review of medical records of a referral population of dogs and cats that had CLFA performed between 2012 and 2020. Animals were classified as cryptococcosis positive (Cr+) or negative (Cr-) based on clinical information. Clinical diagnosis was used to calculate positive and negative percent agreement of the CLFA. RESULTS: Twelve specimens (4 canine, 8 feline) were obtained from Cr+ animals and had positive CLFA results. One-hundred eighty-five specimens (139 canine, 46 feline) were collected from Cr- animals. Negative CLFA results were recorded in 129 canine and 44 feline Cr- samples. Positive CLFA results were noted for 10 canine and 2 feline Cr- samples. Positive percent agreement of CLFA was 100% (confidence interval [CI], 39.8%-100% dogs; 63.1%-100% cats). Negative percent agreements were 92.8% (CI, 87.2%-96.5%) for dogs and 95.7% (CI, 85.2%-99.5%) for cats. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: A negative IMMY CLFA result enables reliable exclusion of cryptococcal infection in dogs and cats. By contrast, a positive result must be interpreted cautiously and further testing should be performed to verify a diagnosis of cryptococcosis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36254569/