Analysis of antibody response to Cryptococcus neoformans in five patients with AIDS and cryptococcosis by immunoblotting.

OBJECTIVES

The serological response of five patients with AIDS and cryptococcosis to non capsular antigens from Cryptococcus neoformans var. neoformans has been investigated.

METHODS

Pressates of different isolates of C. neoformans were used as antigenic 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 antibody response with bands at 48. 43, 38 and 26 kD being present in all clinical samples of all five patients. The variation in banding patterns of the sequential samples from three patients was correlated with a decrease of the antigen titre and with an amelioration of the cryptococcal infection.

CONCLUSIONS

We identified antibodies to four immunodominant non-capsular antigens, which might represent major target molecules of the humoral response of patients with cryptococcosis.