Eels (Anguilla anguilh) which were exposed to copper-contaminated fresh water (30-60 pg Cu/l) died with signs of vibriosis (Vibrio anguillarum). Eels kept in non-contaminated fresh water (<6 Fg Cu/l) remained healthy. V. anguiIIarum was shown to be present in the eels with symptoms of vibriosis. We suggest V. anguillarurn is a common inhabitant of eels and copper can change a commensal association between fish and bacterium to one of pathogenicity.
Subhaemolytic amounts of saline extracts of homogenized, disrupted A. fumigatus sensitized tanned erythrocytes for agglutination to high titres (8,192) by an antiserum to A. fumigatus. Extracts of 5 different strains of A. fumigatus were equally active. Erythrocytes sensitized by similarly prepared extracts of P. notatum and an unclassified Aspergillus strain gave low titres (64 and 128), while extracts of some other fungi and bacteria had no sensitizing activity in tests with the antiserum. Results of absorption and inhibition experiments using the various preparations indicated that the sensitizing antigen(s) in extracts of A. fumigatus may be species specific. Results obtained with 441 human sera showed good correlation between high titres and presence of aspergillosis. Titres above 128 are highly indicative of active disease.
Rabbit antiserum to A. fumigatus and sera from patients with and without aspergiilosis were tested for anti‐haemolysins, CFT antibodies, precipitins and haemagglutinins using extracts of homogenized, disrupted fungi as antigen preparations. The rabbit serum reacted in all 4 tests, while the human sera gave significant reactions in precipitation and tanned cell indirect haemagglutination (IHA) only. Of 9 human sera which gave precipitation in double diffusion in agar, only the 5 which were positive in IHA were from patients with definite aspergiilosis. Some sera precipitated extracts of fungi of other species, and even of other genera. IHA was the most sensitive and specific test. Results of phenol/water extraction of the lyophilized A. fumigatus extracts, of gel filtration, and of preparative ultracentrifugation indicated that the sensitizing antigen in IHA was a precipitinogen of protein nature with a m.w. of approximately 150,000. The haemolysins in the extracts were probably phospholipases.
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