Detection of fungi in tissue sections by lectin histochemistry.

A battery of 21 fluoresceinated lectins was tested on sections of paraffin-embedded human tissues to determine which lectin could be used in the microscopic diagnosis of fungal diseases. Three lectins, from Canavalia ensiformis (concanavalin), Triticum vulgare (wheat germ A), and Phytolacca americana (pokeweed [PWM]), were found to react with fungal pathogens commonly encountered in nosocomial infections. Best results were obtained with PWM and succinylated wheat germ A, which, due to their weak reactivity with normal tissues, reacted almost selectively with fungi.