Monoclonal antibody to Pneumocystis carinii. Comparison with silver stain in bronchial lavage specimens.
Monoclonal 3F6 anti-Pneumocystis carinii antibody (MAB-3F6) was used to stain cell blocks from 164 bronchial lavage specimens from patients with the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and AIDS-related complex and compared with slides stained with Grocott's modification of the Gomori methenamine silver stain. Pneumocystis organisms were present in 83 of 164 cases using MAB-3F6 stain, whereas Grocott's modified silver stain demonstrated Pneumocystis organisms in 48. MAB-3F6 demonstrated Pneumocystis organisms in 38 cases with negative silver stains, whereas silver stain identified Pneumocystis organisms in only three MAB-3F6-negative cases. Of 70 patients with clinical Pneumocystis pneumonia at the time of the specimen was obtained, 59 had MAB-3F6-positive specimens, whereas 39 had organisms detected using Grocott's modified silver stain. Of 37 patients without clinically apparent Pneumocystis pneumonia any time in their course, 4 had abundant organisms and 33 had negative stains with MAB-3F6. MAB-3F6 detected Pneumocystis organisms in 22 of 31 cases of Pneumocystis pneumonia that had no organisms identified using Grocott's silver stain (X2 = 5.76, P = 0.016). MAB-3F6 immunochemical staining is a more sensitive method than Grocott's modified silver stain to detect Pneumocystis organisms.
Homer
K S
KS
Department of Pathology, Parkland Memorial Hospital, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas 75235-9072.
Wiley
E L
EL
Smith
A L
AL
McCollough
L
L
Clark
D
D
Nightingale
S D
SD
Vuitch
F
F
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology*; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000382:microbiology*; D001999:Bronchoscopy; D006801:Humans; D011010:Pneumocystis / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011020:Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / Q000382:microbiology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012834:Silver; D013194:Staining and Labeling
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D012834:Silver