ABSTRACT
A parallel study of fluorescent, agglutinating, and precipitating antibodies to Candida albicans revealed that precipitating antibodies belong to the IgG class, whereas agglutinating antibodies reside in the IgG, IgM, and IgA classes. The three types as well as the three classes of antibodies were found in Candida endocarditis and mucocutaneous candidiasis. Immuno-absorption studies suggest that the three serological tests estimate antibodies to mannan determinants of Candida albicans.
Subject(s)
Antibodies/analysis , Candida/immunology , Immunoglobulins/analysis , Agglutination Tests , Animals , Candida albicans/immunology , Candidiasis/immunology , Chromatography, DEAE-Cellulose , Endocarditis/immunology , Fluorescent Antibody Technique , Humans , Immunoglobulin A/analysis , Immunoglobulin G/analysis , Precipitin Tests , RabbitsSubject(s)
Histoplasmosis , Addison Disease/complications , Adult , Aged , Amphotericin B/therapeutic use , Autopsy , Complement Fixation Tests , Female , Histoplasma/isolation & purification , Histoplasmosis/complications , Histoplasmosis/diagnosis , Histoplasmosis/diagnostic imaging , Histoplasmosis/drug therapy , Histoplasmosis/epidemiology , Histoplasmosis/pathology , Humans , Lung/diagnostic imaging , Male , Middle Aged , Oral Manifestations , Precipitin Tests , Radiography , Skin Tests , Sulfamethoxazole/therapeutic use , Tongue/microbiology , Tongue Diseases/complications , United KingdomABSTRACT
A serological analysis of the extracellular antigens of Micropolyspora faeni by immunodiffusion with a combination of sera revealed 29 individual antigens. A survey was made of the incidence of precipitins to the antigens in sera from patients with clinical farmer's lung disease (FLD) and other respiratory diseases. Precipitating antibody was found in 75% of farmer's lung cases and in 20% of other cases who had been exposed to the same environment. More precipitin reactions were seen in sera from severe forms of FLD than from milder forms. The distribution of precipitins to individual antigens was not significantly affected by severity of disease.Most of the patients with precipitins to M. faeni, but without the symptoms of FLD, were suffering from mild or moderate symptoms of other respiratory diseases with a history of chronic onset of symptoms. The distribution of precipitins to individual antigens in this group was similar to that in clinical FLD patients but the incidence was considerably lower.The significance of these results is discussed.
Subject(s)
Actinomyces/immunology , Antigens/analysis , Farmer's Lung/immunology , Farmer's Lung/etiology , Humans , Immunodiffusion , Precipitin Tests , Precipitins/analysisSubject(s)
Candidiasis/immunology , Cardiac Surgical Procedures , Postoperative Complications/immunology , Agglutination Tests , Antibodies/analysis , Aortic Valve/transplantation , Candida/isolation & purification , Candidiasis/diagnosis , Candidiasis/etiology , Endocarditis/etiology , Endocarditis/immunology , Humans , Precipitin Tests , Transplantation, HomologousABSTRACT
Cryptococcal meningitis occurred in two patients in the North of England. One, an elderly woman who was ill for 12 months with an obscure indolent meningitis until use of steroid drugs resulted in an acute exacerbation during which cryptococci were isolated, was treated successfully with amphotericin B. The other, a student from New Guinea with subacute meningitis, could not tolerate amphotericin B but responded to two courses of oral treatment with 5-fluorocytosine 100-200 mg./kg./ day without any appreciable side-effects. Further trials of this drug in the treatment of cryptococcosis are recommended.
