       Document 0774
 DOCN  M9550774
 TI    Analysis of Pneumocystis carinii organism burden, viability and antigens
       in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in AIDS patients with pneumocystosis:
       correlation with disease severity.
 DT    9505
 AU    Smulian AG; Linke MJ; Cushion MT; Baughman RP; Frame PT; Dohn MN; White
       ML; Walzer PD; Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati
       College; of Medicine, Ohio.
 SO    AIDS. 1994 Nov;8(11):1555-62. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/95151232
 AB    OBJECTIVES: We examined 96 bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) specimens
       from AIDS patients with proven Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) in
       order to compare the relationship of organism burden, viability and
       antigen expression with disease severity at the time of clinical
       presentation. METHODS: Tinctorial analysis of BALF specimens with proven
       PCP using Diff-Quik, cresyl echt violet and erythrosin B stains to
       evaluate organism burden and viability. P. carinii antigen examination
       was performed by Western blot analysis. RESULTS: P. carinii cluster
       ratios were more sensitive than cyst counts as an indicator of organism
       burden, and correlated well with the alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient
       as a measure of disease severity. Erythrosin B, the vital stain used to
       measure P. carinii viability, displayed a wide range of values and
       provided little useful information. Antigens of 35-45 and 95kD, which
       were specific for P. carinii, were found by immunoblot analysis in BALF
       cellular fraction of most patients with pneumocystosis. By contrast,
       antigens of 52 and 66 kD, which were found in both BALF supernatant and
       cellular fractions of P. carinii patients and controls, most likely
       represented albumin and immunoglobulin G heavy chain, respectively, of
       host origin. The 35-45 kD antigen was found in 88% of the BALF specimens
       and appeared to represent an important marker of P. carinii infection.
       The 95 kD antigen was detected in 49% of the specimens. CONCLUSIONS: We
       conclude that analysis of P. carinii characteristics in BALF specimens
       of patients with pneumocystis may provide additional information. These
       data will also be helpful in developing more sensitive assays and in
       targeting specific P. carinii factors for future investigation.
 DE    Antigens, Fungal/*ANALYSIS  AIDS-Related Opportunistic
       Infections/MICROBIOLOGY/  *PHYSIOPATHOLOGY  Blotting, Western
       Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid/*MICROBIOLOGY  Comparative Study
       Erythrosine  Human  HIV Infections/MICROBIOLOGY/*PHYSIOPATHOLOGY
       IgG/ANALYSIS  Immunoglobulins, Heavy-Chain/ANALYSIS  Molecular Weight
       Pneumocystis carinii/*ISOLATION & PURIF  Pneumonia, Pneumocystis
       carinii/MICROBIOLOGY/*PHYSIOPATHOLOGY  Reference Values  Stains and
       Staining  Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.  Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
       CLINICAL TRIAL  CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIAL  JOURNAL ARTICLE

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).

