Application of a monoclonal antibody for the detection of Trichosporon beigelii in paraffin-embedded tissue sections.

Trichosporon beigelii is a normal inhabitant of soil and is occasionally found as normal flora of the skin and mouth. Opportunistic infection by this fungus has been increasingly reported in immunocompromised patients. The diagnosis of this infection depends on positive cultures or histological evidence. However, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish this fungus from Candida species in tissue section. We have generated two monoclonal antibodies that can distinguish T. beigelii from other fungi including several species of Candida. One of these antibodies (K-16) reacts with T. beigelii in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections and will be useful as an aid to the accurate diagnosis of trichosporonosis.