T. Lamura et al., Analysis of antibody response to Cryptococcus neoformans in five patients with AIDS and cryptococcosis by immunoblotting, J INFECTION, 40(1), 2000, pp. 64-68
Objectives: The serological response of five patients with AIDS and cryptoc
occosis to non capsular antigens from Cryptococcus neoformans var. neoforma
ns has been investigated,
Methods: Pressates of different isolates of C. neoformans were used as anti
genic preparation for immunoblotting of patient samples,
Results: Multiple sera and cerebrospinal fluids sequentially collected from
five AIDS patients with cryptococcosis showed a wide heterogeneity in anti
body response with bands at 48, 43, 38 and 26 kD being present in all clini
cal samples of all five patients. The variation in handing patterns of the
sequential samples from three patients was correlated with a decrease of th
e antigen titre and with an amelioration of the cryptococcal infection,
Conclusions: We identified antibodies to four immunodominant non-capsular a
ntigens, which might represent major target molecules of the humoral respon
se of patients with cryptococcosis. (C) 2000 The British Infection Society.