HSP 70 of Cryptococcus neoformans in Cryptococcosis.

新型隐球菌引起T细胞功能缺陷的个体感染，如艾滋病，以及没有基础疾病。体液免疫和细胞免疫在新生隐球菌感染的免疫应答中起重要作用。我们最近用免疫印迹法证明，新生隐球菌的70 kDa热休克蛋白（HSP）家族是小鼠肺隐球菌病体液应答的主要靶分子。在这项研究中，我们还使用免疫印迹法来确定24例肺隐球菌病患者血清中的抗体反应-21例确诊和3例疑似诊断。24例肺隐球菌病患者中16例（66.7%）检出抗新生隐球菌HSP 70抗体。17例高滴度（* 1：8）和7例低滴度（* 1：4）患者中分别有14例（82.3%）和2例（28.6%）可检测到抗HSP 70抗体。抗HSP 70抗体阳性的患者血清在Eiken乳胶凝集试验检测血清隐球菌抗原时显示高滴度。我们的研究结果表明，70 kDa的热休克蛋白家族从C. neoforinans似乎是一个主要的靶分子的体液反应，不仅在小鼠肺隐球菌病，但也在人类患者肺隐球菌病。

Cryptococcus neoformans causes infection in individuals with defective T-cell function, such as AIDS, as well as without underlying disease. It has been suggested that humoral as well as cellular immunity might play an important role in the immune response to C.neoformans infection. We have recently shown, using immunoblotting, that the 70-kDa heat shock protein (HSP) family of C.neoformans was the major target molecule of the humoral response in murine pulmonary cryptococcosis. In this study, we also used immunoblotting to define the antibody responses in the sera of 24 patients with pulmonary cryptococcosis - 21 proven and 3 suspected diagnoses. Anti-C.neoforinans HSP 70 antibody was detected in 16 of 24 (66.7%) patients with pulmonary cryptococcosis. Fourteen of 17 (82.3%) patients with high antigen titers (*1 : 8) and 2 of 7 (28.6%) patients with low titers (*1 : 4), had detectable levels of anti-HSP 70 antibody. Sera from patients positive for anti-HSP 70 antibody showed high titers in the Eiken latex agglutination test for the detection of serum cryptococcal antigen. Our results indicate that the 70-kDa heat shock protein family from C.neoforinans appears to be a major target molecule of the humoral response, not only in murine pulmonary cryptococcosis, but also in human patients with pulmonary cryptococcosis.