Cellular immunity to Coccidioides immitis: In vitro lymphocyte response to spherules,arthrospores, and endospores |
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Authors: | Stanley C. Deresinski Robert J. Applegate Hillel B. Levine David A. Stevens |
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Affiliation: | 1. Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, San Jose, California 95128 U.S.A.;2. Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 U.S.A.;3. Institute for Medical Research, San Jose, California 95128 U.S.A.;4. The Medical Microbiology Department, Naval Biomedical Research Laboratory, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkley California 94720 U.S.A. |
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Abstract: | In vitro stimulation of incorporation of tritiated thymidine by human peripheral lymphocytes in response to two soluble antigens and three different intact but nonviable fungal forms of Coccidioides immitis was studied. Lymphocytes were obtained from three groups of subjects: healthy skin test positive, healthy skin test negative, and disseminated disease. Dose-response relationships to the intact forms (endospores, arthrospores, and spherules) were determined. Responses of lymphocytes from healthy skin test-positive subjects and subjects with disseminated disease were similar. Ranking of antigens by “potency” gave the following results: endospores = spherulin > mycelial filtrate > arthrospores = spherules. Endospores were the most potent of the intact forms in 10 of 11 subjects. The clear superiority of endospores over spherules is not due to differences in the total particle surface area available for presentation to the leukocytes. All antigens tested except spherules could discriminate between skin test-positive and skin test-negative subjects in this in vitro system. A T-cell-enriched, B-cell- and mono-cyte-depleted cell population demonstrated an active response to spherulin and to endospores. The variance of these finding with animal studies demonstrating spherules to be immunogenically superior when compared to endospores is discussed. This may have importance in future studies in humans of vaccines to C. immitis. |
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Keywords: | Address correspondence to Dr. Stevens at the Department of Medicine Santa Clara Valley Medical Center 751 South Bascom Avenue San Jose Calif. 95128. |
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