Contribution of the Leukocyte Adherence Inhibition Test to the Diagnosis of Non–IgE-mediated Immunoreactivity against Candida albicans in Patients with Atopic Dermatitis

Aims: To evaluate the potential of the Leukocyte Adherence Inhibition Test (LAIT) to discriminate Non–IgE-mediated immunoreactivity against Candida albicans in Atopic Dermatitis () patients with clinical suspicion of hypersensitivity reactions to fungal allergens.

Study Design: We retrospectively examined the medical charts of 100 patients diagnosed with with clinical suspicion of Non–IgE-mediated fungal hypersensitivity who were investigated with an ex vivo challenge monitored by LAIT against an extract of Candida albicans.

Place and Duration of Study: Instituto Alergoimuno de Americana – São Paulo – Brazil – between January 2018 and October 2023.

Methodology: The percentage of Leukocyte Adherence Inhibition (LAI) promoted by the ex vivo challenges with C. albicans extract was distributed in ranges through a cascade distribution chart to outline the variability of the results.

Results: The mean LAI was 41.5%; SD 29.7%, ranging from 0% to 100%; mode = 0% (appeared 17 times). A wide distribution of LAI results suggested that some patients had immunoreactivity against the Candida albicans allergens while tolerant ones did not.

Conclusion: Our preliminary results support that the LAIT performed with Candida albicans may differentiate diverse degrees of ex vivo immunoreactivity against this airborne allergen in allergic patients.