SERUM ANTIBODIES TO ASPERGILLUS FUMIGATUS IN PATIENTS WITH PULMONARY ASPERGILLOSIS DETECTED BY IMMUNOFLUORESCENCE

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Abstract
Aspergillus antibodes of the IgG, IgA and IgM class were determined by the indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) technique in sera from 11 patients with proven pulmonary aspergillosis (group I), 11 patients with suspected pulmonary aspergillosis (group II), 34 patients with chronic obstructive lung disease (group III), 29 patients with lung infiltrates of non-fungal etiology (group IV) and 94 blood donors (group V). The antigen was cryostate sections of formaldehyde fixed mycelium. IgG antibody titers > 640 occurred in 73% in group I + II, 12% in group III, 0% in group IV and 22% in group V. The difference between group I + II and group V was statistically significant (P < 0.001). IgA antibody titers > 80 were found in patients in group I + II, suggesting that demonstration of such antibodies may be of diagnostic significance. IgM antibodies in titers between 10 and 160 were found in 100-65% in group I to V. Precipitating antibodies to a culture filtrate antigen occurred in all subjects in group I, in 9 (82%) in group II and in 1-7% of subjects in group III-V. Precipitin titers > 2 occurred only in group I and II. No correlation between precipitin titers and IIF titers of IgG and IgA antibodies was obtained, suggesting that the 2 methods reveal antibodies of different specificities.