Cryptococcal
antigen titers of 70 cerebrospinal fluid and 57 serum specimens from patients suspected of having
cryptococcosis were determined both before and
after treatment with
pronase. Median titers of cerebrospinal fluid specimens before and
after treatment were 128 and 128, respectively; mean geometric titers of these specimens before and
after treatment were 102 and 204, respectively. Median titers of the serum specimens before and
after treatment were 16 and 512, respectively; mean geometric titers of these specimens before and
after treatment were 19 and 631, respectively. The modified
latex agglutination test did not detect
antigen in any of 50 cerebrospinal fluid and 51 serum specimens from patients not suspected of having
cryptococcosis. These results suggest that the
pronase modification increases the sensitivity of the
latex agglutination test and that the modification be routinely incorporated into it.