Serum protein profiles in coccidioidomycosis.

Serum protein analysis is a valuable addition to the present methods for evaluating the status of the individual patient with coccidioidomycosis. The albumin protein and albumin glycoprotein decrease and gamma protein increases in relation to severity of infection. In 40 patients with coccidioidomycosis, changes in individual protein fractions could be significantly correlated with conventional laboratory tests, such as the complement fixation test, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and hematocrit. Changes in the alpha, glycoprotein concentration, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate and the hematocrit value appear to be related to the degree of inflammation, while the changes in the gamma protein and the beta, glycoprotein appear to be related to the specific antibody response.