FREQUENCY OF PRECIPITINS TO TRICHLOROACETIC ACID-EXTRACTABLE ANTIGENS FROM THERMOPHILIC ACTINOMYCETES IN FARMERS LUNG PATIENTS AND ASYMPTOMATIC FARMERS

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Abstract
Trichloroacetic acid (TCA)-extractable antigen fractions, prepared from Micropolyspora faeni cells and other thermophilic actinomycetes, used as diagnostic immunodiffusion reagents for the detection of farmer''s lung disease, were compared to crude extracellular antigen concentrates. The frequency of serum precipitins to the TCA-extractable antigens was compared in symptomatic farmer''s lung patients and in healthy farmers having positive precipitin tests to the crude antigen concentrates of the analogous thermophilic actinomycetes. Of the symptomatic group, 68% had precipitins to the M. faeni TCA-extractable antigens vs. only 22% of the asymptomatic group. With regard to the other thermophilic actinomycetes tested, no significant differences in frequencies of precipitins to TCA-extractable antigens between the symptomatic and asymptomatic groups were found; the total number of patients available for testing with each of these antigens was small.

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