Effect of antibodies on growth and structure ofTrichophyton mentagrophytes

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Abstract
Growth of Trichophyton mentagrophytes from infected skin and hair was completely inhibited on a test medium containing antibody γ-globulin produced in rabbits to autoclaved mycelium. When microconidia from cultures maintained on Sabouraud's glucose agar (SGA) were used as inoculum, growth was only inhibited after incubation of the microconidia with antibody γ-glubulin at 37°C. At subinhibitory concentrations of antibody γ-globulin, structural changes were produced in cultures initiated by both types of inoculum. These structural changes consisted of a decrease in sporulation, a complete loss or distortion of macroconidia, and an increase in the width of hyphae. On test medium containing antibody γ-globulin to an extracellular keratinase, similar structural changes and retardation of growth initiated by both clinical specimens and microconidia were observed. Guinea-pig serum complement was not fungicidal for microconidia incubated with antibody γ-globulin at 37°C. On the contrary, the growth initiated by previously incubated microconidia on SGA was enhanced.