Aspergillus Aspergilus Fumigatus | Antibodies IgA, IgM, IgG

General Information

There are more than 200 species of fungi in the genus Aspergillus, but only about 20 are pathogenic to humans, the most aggressive of which is Aspergillus Fumigatus. Aspergillus Fumigatus spreads through spores that are resistant to environmental factors such as heat, dehydration, chemical exposure, radiation, and more for months.

People with normal immune status rarely develop fungal infections, but immunocompromised people are at high risk of developing aspergillosis. The main risk factor for developing aspergillosis is neutropenia (a deficiency of neutrophils in the blood), which can occur in various pathologies:

• Acute leukemia
• Solid tumors
• Organ transplantation
• Bone marrow transplant
• Primary immunodeficiency
• Chronic lung diseases: tuberculosis, cystic fibrosis, chronic bronchitis, etc.

Aspergillosis is diagnosed by detecting antibodies to its cellular glycoprotein (galactomannan antigen).

Serological tests are particularly important for diagnosing localized aspergillosis infections and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA).

When is the survey conducted?

• Antigen testing is mainly used to diagnose invasive aspergillosis and assess the effectiveness of treatment.
• In patients with allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) or aspergilloma (aspergilloma - a fungal growth in body cavities), diagnostics is primarily made by antibody testing.

Preparation of the patient: it is not necessary

Material for examination: Venous blood

Interpretation of results

90% of patients with aspergilloma and 70% of patients with aspergillosis allergy have anti-aspergillus antibodies (IgA, IgM, IgG). After effective treatment, antibody titers decrease.

In 7-14% of cases, a false-positive antibody response may be detected. This is due to:

• Some foods – pasta, rice, etc., which contain the galactomannan antigen
• Changes in intestinal wall permeability due to various diseases or chemotherapy
• Semisynthetic antibiotics – piperacillin, amoxicillin and augmentin (they are derivatives of natural penicillins) may cause cross-reactivity to antigens and cause a false positive response.

Serological test results in patients with systemic aspergillosis are often negative, requiring the use of additional testing methods.