title: Assessment of the human cellular immune response to T27K, a coccidioidal antigen preparation, by flow cytometry of whole blood.
abstract: Whole blood flow cytometry was performed among donors with various clinical forms of coccidioidomycosis using T27K, a coccidioidal antigen preparation protective in mice but not previously studied in humans. The median percent of CD3+ lymphocytes (CD3+) producing intracellular interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) among healthy immune donors was 0.43%, significantly above that for non-immune donors (0.01%) and greater than that for subjects with other forms of coccidioidomycosis, including chronic pulmonary (0.11%), disseminated (0.09%) and concomitant human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection (0.07%) (P < or =0.002 for all). No increase in intracellular interleukin (IL)-10 production or apoptosis was noted in samples incubated with T27K. Among 14 HIV-infected patients with concomitant coccidioidomycosis, seven of eight patients whose peripheral blood CD4 concentration was > 200 cells microl(-1) had > 0.06% of CD3+ produce intracellular IFN-gamma, compared to none of six whose peripheral blood CD4+ lymphocyte concentration was < or =200 cells microl(-1) (P = 0.005). These data indicate that there is a specific human cellular immune response to T27K as a coccidioidal antigen and that this response can be categorized based on the clinical status of the coccidioidally infected patient.
authors.affiliation: University of Arizona, Tucson, USA. nampel@u.arizona.edu
authors.forename: N M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Ampel
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Kramer
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Kerekes
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pappagianis
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000946:Antigens, Fungal / Q000276:immunology*; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000378:metabolism; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D003045:Coccidioides / Q000276:immunology*; D003047:Coccidioidomycosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D000946:Antigens, Fungal; D017252:CD3 Complex; D007371:Interferon-gamma