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Pilot analysis of the immune response to fungal antigens in subjects working in humidity damaged houses
Anja S. Tiilikainen1, M.D., Ph.D., Irmeli Heikkinen2,
M.Sc., Kirsi Vedenpää3, M.Sc., Riitta Karttunen4, M.D., Ph.D.
1 Professor (e) of Clinical Immunology and
Microbiology; 2Research Associate; 3Research Associate; 4Acting Professor of
Clinical Microbiology; From Department of Medical Microbiology, University
of Oulu; Oulu, Finland; Postal address: Department of Medical Microbiology,
University of Oulu, FIN-90220 OULU, Finland, Telephone: +358 - 8 - 537 5868,
Fax: +358 - 8 - 335 908; Correspondence: Dr. Anja Tiilikainen, e-mail:
Anja.Tiilikainen@oulu.fi, or Department of Medical Microbiology, University
of Oulu, FIN-90220 OULU, Finland
Abstract.
Although
the proportion of anti-mold IgG antibody producers was largely the same
among different groups of subjects tested, the highest OD-readings in EIA
technique were seldom seen in symptomless controls, but generally in
association with any allergy of the ”mold exposed” subjects or in patients
referred to specialist analysis at the Oulu University Hospital outpatient
clinic for oto-rhino-laryngology. Some subjects in each group were
distinctly multi-immune (”responders” = R) and some just occasionally
reactive (”low responders” = LR) against a panel of 12-16 mold antigens; of
the 34 allergic subjects 6 were R and 3 LR. In vitro cultures of patient
lymphocytes usually responded with a lower cytokine production to
Aspergillus fumigatus antigen than to other mold antigens, in contrast
to responses of lymphocytes from healthy controls. More often than not, R
lymphocytes showed higher cytokine production than did LR lymphocytes; more
frequently in healthy controls than in patients. Key
words:
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