Immunoglobulin M and G Histoplasmal Antibody Response in Histoplasmosis1–4

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Abstract
Radioimmunoassays for IgM and IgG histoplasmal antibodies were developed and proved to be specific for their respective immunoglobulin classes, sensitive, and reproducible. Elevated IgM antibodies were detected in 59.8% of patients with histoplasmosis and 7.9% of control subjects. Elevated IgG antibodies occurred in 80.4% of patients with histoplasmosis but in only 12.9% of control subjects. Radioimmunoassay was nearly twice as sensitive as complement fixation for identifying patients with mild, presumably asymptomatic, infection. Of 13 patients with serologic follow-up at least 1 yr later, elevated IgM antibodies cleared, whereas IgG antibodies persisted in 7. In an epidemiologic investigation of a recurrent histoplasmosis outbreak, only the radioimmunoassay was able to prove the hypothesis that construction for a swimming complex was the source of exposure. These assays promise to be useful for clinical and epidemiologic investigations.