IgG and IgA subclass antibodies against Aspergillus umbrosus in farmer's lung disease

Abstract

Fifty patients with farmer's lung disease (FL), 20 asymptomatic exposed farmers, and 18 healthy controls were investigated for total IgG and total IgA, as well as subclass antibody levels against Aspergillus umbrosus, the most common fungus to which FL patients in Finland have been exposed. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) revealed significantly elevated levels of specific total IgG and IgA antibodies in the sera of patients during the acute phase of the disease. Both IgG1 and IgG2 subclass antibodies and both IgA1 and IgA2 subclass antibodies were significantly associated with the disease. The antibody levels decreased during the first 3 months, when mould exposure was avoided and when an oral 6-week steroid treatment was administered. During the next 12 month follow-up, the mean antibody levels continued to decrease, even though re-exposure might have occurred. The results (with sensitivity 94% and specificity 95%) imply that in addition to the measurement of A. umbrosus-specific IgG, determination of both A. umbrosus-specific IgG1 and IgA might also be useful in the serodiagnosis of acute stage of FL.

Identification of the reactive subunits of Aspergillus umbrosus involved in the antigenic response in farmer's lung

“…Strain M 118 (isolated from mouldy hay in Finland by Dr M. Kotimaa, Kuopio Regional Institute of Occupational Health, Kuopio. Finland) was cultivated as described earlier [13]. Four-and 11-day-old fungal mass, washed with phosphate buffered saline (PBS) pH 7.4. was cut into 3 x 3 mm pieces and dried on glass slides for light microscopic examination and in polystyrene microtitre plates for electron microscopy at + 50 C for 30min.…”

“…Four-and 11-day-old fungal mass, washed with phosphate buffered saline (PBS) pH 7.4. was cut into 3 x 3 mm pieces and dried on glass slides for light microscopic examination and in polystyrene microtitre plates for electron microscopy at + 50 C for 30min. The specimens were stored at 20 C. The crude antigen of A. utnbrosus for the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was prepared as described earlier [13].…”

Antibody Response to Long‐term and High‐dose Mould‐exposed Sawmill Workers

“…Heavy mould exposure is found to be a probable cause of respiratory and other work‐related symptoms in a dose‐dependent manner [7, 13–17], and occupational mould exposure is associated with both respiratory symptoms and elevated levels of mould‐specific IgG, IgA and IgM antibodies [16, 18–20]. Antibody subclasses of IgG1, IgG2, IgA1 and IgA2 are all shown to be of importance [18].…”

Immuno-reactive proteins from Mycobacterium immunogenum useful for serodiagnosis of metalworking fluid hypersensitivity pneumonitis

“…Improvement and standardization of serodiagnosis is an important avenue for research in the management of HP (Lacasse et al, 2008). Considered by some authors to be a marker of exposure (Gariepy et al, 1989;Kusaka et al, 1989), the presence of precipitins or of immunoglobulin G (IgG) is a useful diagnostic criterion in areas of high prevalence of HP (Lacasse et al, 2003) and is improved by the use of relevant antigens to which patients are exposed (Fenoglio et al, 2007;Kaukonen et al, 1993;Reboux et al, 2007). These antigens are extracted from microorganisms identified by sampling in the patient's environment.…”