title: The general and specific humoral immune response to pulmonary aspergillosis.
abstract: The genus Aspergillus may cause one of several clinical entities in affected patients. Serum specimens from 79 patients, including 41 with aspergilloma, 28 with allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, 3 with both aspergilloma and the allergic variant, and 7 with invasive or disseminated aspergillosis, were studied for antibodies to aspergillus. The ammonium sulfate test was used with a mycelial component labeled with iodine-125 derived from Aspergillus fumigatus. Complement fixation and immunodiffusion tests using a culture filtrate antigen (aspergillin) from the same species were also performed. Immunoglobulins G, A, and M and complement component C-3 were determined by radial immunodiffusion. Total serum IgE was measured by radioimmunoassay. Serum specimens from patients with aspergilloma manifested increased binding to the radio-labeled mycelial component, multiple precipitin bands, and/or increased complement fixation titers to aspergillin. Serum concentrations of IgG and IgA were increased. Patients with allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis were characterized by moderately increased binding to the radio-labeled mycelial component, a paucity of precipitating and complement-fixing antibody to aspergillin, and increased total serum IgE. Serum from patients with locally invasive or disseminated aspergillosis had increased concentrations of C-3 and variable binding to the radiolabeled mycelial component, depending on the duration of the disease process. Use of a battery of tests with both mycelial and culture filtrate antigens enhanced detection of circulating aspergillus antibody.
mesh_terms: D000645:Ammonium Sulfate; D000908:Antibodies, Fungal / Q000032:analysis; D000917:Antibody Formation; D001228:Aspergillosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D001666:Binding Sites, Antibody; D003168:Complement Fixation Tests; D006801:Humans; D007109:Immunity; D005779:Immunodiffusion; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000032:analysis; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D008172:Lung Diseases, Fungal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000908:Antibodies, Fungal; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D000645:Ammonium Sulfate