HYPERSENSITIVITY PNEUMONITIS INDUCED BY TRICHOSPORON-CUTANEUM

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Abstract
T. cutaneum was isolated from the houses of patients with hypersensitivity pneumonitis and its possible role as an etiologic agent was isolated in 21 cases of the disease. A high titer of anti-T. cutaneum antibody was observed in serum samples from 20 (95.2%) of the 21 patients, but only a low titer was found in < 9% of the control serum samples. Anti-Cryptococcus neoformans antibody was also observed in the patients'' serum samples, but it appeared in most samples to be a cross-reaction to T. cutaneum antigen. This was because the anti-C. neoformans antibody was completely absorbed with T. cutaneum, but the anti-T. cutaneum antibody was only partly absorbed with C. neoformans. No C. neoformans was isolated from the patients'' environment. A bronchoprovocation test with T. cutaneum was done on 1 patient, with a positive result. T. cutaneum was also found in bird droppings containing nutrients for this organism. Evidently, this is the 1st report on hypersensitivity pneumonitis induced by T. cutaneum.