Immunodiagnostic approaches for detection of Candida species: Where do we stand?

Background: Candida is a commensal fungal species found in the oral cavity of healthy individuals. These organisms mostly cause mucosal mouth infections and can invade the bloodstream resulting in deep-tissue infections under favorable conditions in the host. Accurate and precise detection of Candida sp. is essential for appropriate diagnosis of Candida-borne diseases. Inaccurate detection of a pathogen causing improper diagnosis disables appropriate treatment options. To detect Candida species, several methods including conventional, molecular, biochemical as well as several rapid sensor based detection approaches have been elaborated and all these methods, although more or less accurate, have their own advantages and drawbacks. On the other hand, immunological assays for the detection of Candida sp. are also of demand due to higher degree of specificity and sensitivity associated with unique features of antigen antibody interaction. Major immunological techniques such as ELISA, RIA, and Immunofluorescent assay are commonly used for detection of Candida sp. Besides, rapid immunodiagnostic approaches including coagulation and lateral flow-based immunoassays have gained popularity as these techniques are used for quick detection of Candida species to enable rapid point-of-care diagnosis of Candidiasis. In this review, we have exclusively elaborated on currently available immunological methods for the detection of various species of Candida along with a comparison with other diagnostic approaches for Candidiasis.