Studies on the antigenic composition of aqueous cotton dust extracts.

An immune response to cotton dust components has been proposed as a possible mechanism of byssinosis. To evaluate this possibility, specific precipitating antibodies against aqueous cotton dust extracts (ACDE) were raised in rabbits, and a reference pattern for crossed immunoelectrophoresis (CIE) was established using this extract. A significant portion of the immune response was directed against Alternaria tenuis, Aspergillus niger, and Fusarium solani, all documented contaminants of cotton dust. Preliminary crossed radio-immunoelectrophoretic studies demonstrated that some of these antigens are allergenic in man, suggesting that an IgE-mediated hypersensitivity against cotton dust, or a fungal component of the dust, may be important in byssinosis pathogenesis.