Serologic responses to epitopes of the major surface glycoprotein of Pneumocystis jiroveci differ in human immunodeficiency virus-infected and uninfected persons.
The major surface glycoprotein (Msg) of Pneumocystis jiroveci (P. jiroveci) is important in the immunopathogenesis of Pneumocystis pneumonia (PcP), but is difficult to study in humans. We generated 3 overlapping recombinant Msg fragments (MsgA, MsgB and MsgC), and analyzed their reactivity with serum samples from 95 healthy blood donors and 94 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected persons. Reactivity to the Msg fragments varied with HIV infection and prior episodes of PcP but not with geographic origin. Recognition of MsgA was lower-and recognition of MsgB was significantly lower-in HIV(+) serum compared with donor serum. Serum samples from HIV-positive patients with prior PcP recognized MsgC more frequently than did serum samples from those without PcP. None of the serum samples drawn from 9 patients before they had developed PcP recognized MsgC. These data suggest that these novel recombinant proteins are useful for the analysis of antibody responses to Msg.
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267-0560, USA. dalykr@email.uc.edu
Kieran R
KR
Daly
Carl J
CJ
Fichtenbaum
Reiko
R
Tanaka
Michael J
MJ
Linke
Robert
R
O'Bert
Timothy D
TD
Thullen
Michele S
MS
Hui
Alan G
AG
Smulian
Peter D
PD
Walzer
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000908:Antibodies, Fungal / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood; D000940:Antigenic Variation / Q000235:genetics; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006678:HIV / Q000276:immunology*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D011010:Pneumocystis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D011020:Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / Q000276:immunology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
D000908:Antibodies, Fungal; D004271:DNA, Fungal; D000939:Epitopes; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C077556:GPA protein, Pneumocystis carinii sp.