EUROIMMUN will attend the World Congress of Dermatology in Milan on June 10th-15th 2019 organizing a Meet the Experts Session on June 13th with the subject “The new standard for detection of fungi – Speeding up diagnostics of mycoses with PCR-based analysis”. Two opinion leaders in the field, Prof. Dr. Gräser and Prof. Dr. Brasch, will talk about the modern diagnostics of tinea. Congress attendees are invited to join the session in room White 2. EUROIMMUN will also present the EUROArray Dermatomycosis which provides direct detection and differentiation of the most important dermatomycosis pathogens in one test. The assay simultaneously detects 50 dermatophyte species, and provides species identification for 23 of these as well as for 6 yeasts and moulds. Accurate identification of the disease-causing pathogens enables early, targeted treatment, increasing the chances of therapy success.
The DNA microarray offers an enormous time advantage over classical detection methods such as pathogen culturing and microscopy, taking less than 18 hours rather than weeks. It is particularly useful for detecting dermatophytes that are difficult to cultivate or those that are slow growing and thus likely to be overlooked. The test specifically identifies mixed infections, for example with yeasts and moulds, and aids differentiation of dermatomycoses from other dermatoses such as psoriasis. Moreover, the assay provides high sensitivity even in patients already undergoing therapy.
The EUROArray procedure is extremely easy to perform. No in-depth molecular biology knowledge is required. Ready-to-use reagents and the small number of pipetting steps ensure a minimal workload. The evaluation and interpretation of results as well as the archiving of data are fully automated and thus objective. The dermatophyte parameters encompass anthropophilic, zoophilic and geophilic species of the genera Trichophyton, Epidermophyton, Microsporum, Nannizzia, Arthoderma, Lophophyton. The yeast and mould parameters include Candida, Fusarium and Scopulariopsis species.
Dermatomycoses are extremely common, affecting around 20 to 25% of the population worldwide. They are, moreover, characteristically long-lasting, recurring and very difficult to cure. Elderly people and immunocompromised patients are especially at risk. Dermatomycoses must always be treated. Due to the different activity spectra of antifungal drugs, prior identification of the causative pathogen is essential. The EUROArray Dermatomycosis provides the most comprehensive direct detection of dermatomycosis pathogens currently available commercially, and thus represents a valuable new tool for dermatologists.
EUROIMMUN is an international provider of medical laboratory products for autoimmune, infection, allergy and molecular genetic diagnostics, including many test systems for dermatological applications. The EUROArray platform offers microarrays not only for multiplex detection of dermatophytes but also for sexually transmitted pathogens or human papillomaviruses.
EUROIMMUN also offers multiplex serological test systems for detection of autoantibodies against structural proteins of the skin in the diagnosis of bullous autoimmune dermatoses. The indirect immunofluorescence and ELISA test systems utilise innovative substrates and designer antigens for highly sensitive and specific autoantibody detection.
For allergy diagnostics EUROIMMUN offers a broad range of test systems for in vitro determination of specific IgE. More than 450 parameters are available on over 90 indication- and region-specific profiles.
Up to 54 allergens can be analysed on each profile. In addition, the company offers defined partial allergen diagnostics (DPA-Dx), which enable precise identification of the allergy-triggering components for therapy decision-making and risk assessment.
