Immunologic significance of aspergillin antigens of six species of Aspergillus in the serodiagnosis of aspergillosis.

The diagnostic value of the complement fixation and the immunodiffusion tests using aspergillin prepared from each of 6 species of Aspergillus (A. fumigatus, A. fischeri, A. flavus, A. terreus, A. nidulans, and A. niger) was determined by testing sera from 85 patients with active aspergillosis, 80 patients with other fungal infections, and 20 normal subjects. Aspergillin was sensitive and specific for the serodiagnosis of aspergillosis when used in the immunodiffusion test and sensitive and relatively specific in the complement fixation test. There was a direct linear relationship between the number of precipitin bands and the strength of the complement fixation titers. High complement fixation titers or strong precipitin reactions were good evidence of the common saprophytic form of aspergillosis, regardless of the presence or absence of an aspergilloma. Complement fixing antibodies to Histoplasma capsulatum yeast antigens were found in the sera of 56 per cent of the patients with aspergillosis. Sera fro...