title: Antibodies reactive with the cryptococcal capsular polysaccharide glucuronoxylomannan are present in sera from children with and without human immunodeficiency virus infection.
abstract: Antibodies reactive with the cryptococcal polysaccharide glucuronoxylomannan (GXM) are present in sera from both human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-uninfected and -infected adults. However, the prevalence of these antibodies in US children is unknown. An antigen-capture ELISA was used to determine the presence, serotype specificity, isotype, and IgG subclass distribution of antibodies to GXM in sera from 27 HIV-uninfected and 34 HIV-infected children. The children were of similar age and socioeconomic background. IgG and IgM to GXM were present in sera from all children, although HIV-uninfected children had significantly higher titers. HIV-uninfected children had IgG1 and IgG2 to GXM and significantly greater IgG2 than in HIV-infected children. These findings of type-specific antibodies to GXM in early childhood suggest that exposure to or subclinical infection with Cryptococcus neoformans may be an early childhood event.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Abadi
authors.forename: L a
authors.initials: La
authors.lastname: Pirofski
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000908:Antibodies, Fungal / Q000097:blood*; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000946:Antigens, Fungal / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003453:Cryptococcosis / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D003455:Cryptococcus neoformans / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D018023:HIV Seronegativity / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D007223:Infant; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000276:immunology*; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D000908:Antibodies, Fungal; D000946:Antigens, Fungal; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D011134:Polysaccharides; C027478:glucuronoxylomannan