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M Casanova

Publications and source records attributed to M Casanova.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1998

[Clinical characterization of patients with multiple sclerosis defined in Cuba].

INTRODUCTION: Since 1975 no studies have been done in Cuba defining the clinical characteristics of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). OBJECTIVE: To describe the characteristics of a group of Cuban patients with definite clinical MS. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Fifty eight patients with definite clinical MS were studied (Poser et al) with normal motor (VCM) and sensory (VCS) conduction velocities. Tests were done on them: clinical scale (Scripps), incapacity (EDSS) and quality of life (Steps), together with various complementary tests. Each patient was classified according to the way in which the disease evolved. Also the two commonest clinical types were compared and we applied the difference test between percentages of non-paired samples with an alfa level of 0.05. RESULTS: Onset of the illness in most cases was before the age of 40 (86.1%), 75.9% were women and 82.8% were white. In 15.3% there was a family history of MS. In 25.9% there were psychiatric disorders and trigger factors (43.1%. The most frequent initial symptoms were pyramidal (48.3%) sensorial (41.4%) and cerebellar (39.7%). Scripps scale scores were < 80 in 60.2%, in EDSS < 5 (61.9%) and in the Clinical Steps < 3 in 65.4%). Motor potentials (81.9%) somatosensory potential (PESS) (72.3%) and magnetic resonance imaging (MR) (76.4%) were the most abnormal results. Exacerbation-remission (ER) was the most frequent type of evolution (53.4%) generally affecting patients aged under 40 years old (p = 0.02), EDSS < 5 (64.4%), Scripps > 80 (61.2%), Steps < 3 (95.6%), pyramidal system involvement (58.5%), cerebellar (29.2%) and MRI abnormality (80%). The progressive primary form (PP) was the second most frequent (29.3%); 29.4% were under 40 years of age, had more marked changes in all functional system (100%), degree of incapacity and quality of life (100%). PESS (92.5%); the urodynamic tests 58.85%) were less positive on MRI (54.5%) as compared with the ER form. CONCLUSIONS: The differences found between the clinical forms ER and II indicate that there is greater deterioration in the PP form, probably due to age and more cerebellar and spinal cord involvement.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Lack of evidence for the involvement of formaldehyde in the hepatocarcinogenicity of methyl tertiary-butyl ether in CD-1 mice.

The oxygenated fuel additive methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) induced hepatocellular adenomas in female but not male CD-1 mice exposed to 8000 ppm; liver cancer was not induced in female or male mice exposed to 3000 or 400 ppm. Since MTBE is metabolized by cytochrome P450 to formaldehyde (HCHO), a potentially mutagenic intermediate capable of forming DNA-protein cross-links (DPX), the formation of DPX and of another HCHO derivative, RNA-formaldehyde adducts (RFA), from MTBE was investigated using freshly isolated hepatocytes from female CD-1 mice incubated with MTBE-(O-methyl-14C). DPX and RFA were detected, but the adduct yields were very small and were independent of the concentration of MTBE in the hepatocyte suspension over a wide concentration range (0.33-6.75 mM). Similar results were obtained using hepatocytes from male B6C3F1 mice and male F344 rats. Induction of cytochrome P450 by pretreatment of mice with MTBE prior to isolation of hepatocytes did not result in a measurable increase in the yields of either DPX or RFA. In contrast to the absence of concentration-dependent DPX and RFA formation from MTBE, there was a marked, concentration-dependent increase in the yields of both DPX and RFA when [14C]formaldehyde was added directly to the medium. These results suggest that the metabolism of MTBE to HCHO approaches saturation at concentrations below 0.33 mM, and that the rate of HCHO production from metabolism of MTBE is slow relative to the rate of HCHO metabolism. The lack of concentration dependence and the absence of species or sex differences in the formation of DPX and RFA from MTBE indicate that metabolism of MTBE to HCHO is not a critical component of its carcinogenic mechanism in mice.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed1997

Premature thymic involution, observed at the ultrastructural level, in two lineages of human-SOD-1 transgenic mice.

The human Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (hSOD-1) gene, catalyses the dismutation of O2 to H2O2 and O2. It is located on chromosome 21 in q22.1 and is overexpressed in Down's syndrome (DS) patients. These patients present various abnormalities including mental retardation, congenital heart disease, immunological deficits and premature aging. In order to explore the potential role of SOD-1 overexpression in DS, we have generated two lineages of transgenic mice for the hSOD-1 gene and studied, at the ultrastructural level, the effect of hSOD-1 overexpression on the thymic microenvironment. Modification of the cellular architecture and morphology associated with a lipidic invasion, signs of a premature involution of the thymus, were observed in both lineages. A rupture of the filamentous network in the extracellular and probably also in the intracellular matrix was first observed. These results correlate the thymic alterations visualized in light microscopy, on the thymus from DS patients, and raise the question of the relationship between the SOD-1 overexpression and the different morphological alterations associated with the premature thymic involution observed in SOD-1 transgenic mice. They suggest that thymic and immunological impairments present in DS patients may be related to the SOD-1 gene dosage effect.

Aging↗
PubMed1997

Treatment of childhood Hodgkin's disease with COPP or COPP-ABV (hybrid) without radiotherapy in Nicaragua.

BACKGROUND: Childhood Hodgkin's disease (HD) in low-income countries has been reported to have distinct presenting features, including a high prevalence of the mixed cellularity subtype, which also seems to be associated with poorer prognosis. Further investigations are needed to evaluate these issues. Another controversial aspect of childhood HD is the use of radiotherapy (RT) in its treatment and the growing concern about its serious adverse side effects. In this paper, data on the diagnosis and outcome of children treated without RT in a low-income country (Nicaragua) are reported. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty-eight consecutive children aged 0-15 years, diagnosed at 'La Mascota' Hospital of Managua (Nicaragua) from January 1990 to October 1995. entered this study. Follow-up was updated in May 1996. Clinical and histopathological staging was performed according to Ann Arbor and Rye criteria, respectively. Treatment consisted of COPP (six cycles) for stages I or IIA, or COPP-ABV hybrid): eight cycles for stages IIB or III, and ID cycles for stage IV. Total cumulative doses of adriamycin and bleomycin in this protocol are, respectively, 200 and 80 mg:sqm for stages II B or III and 250 and 100 mg/sqm for stage IV. RESULTS: The median age of the 48 patients at diagnosis was seven years, and the mean age was 7.9 years (range 3-15 years). Clinical stages were IA in 5, IIA in 9, IIB in 6, IIIA in 5, IIIB in 14, and IVB in 9. Histopathologically, 25 cases presented with mixed cellularity, 15 with nodular sclerosis, 5 with lymphocytic predominance and 3 with lymphocytic depletion. Four patients did not proceed with treatment and were lost to follow-up. Two patients (stages IIIB and IVB), who never achieved complete remission (CR) during treatment, presented progressive disease at the end of the scheduled chemotherapy. The remaining 42 patients were in complete remission at the end of chemotherapy. Following discontinuation of therapy, one patient (stage IA) was lost to follow-up and two patients with stage IIIB, who were in CR after the second chemotherapy cycle, relapsed 20 and 9 months following the diagnosis. EFS at three years is 100% for the 25 patients with stages I, II, IIIA and 74.9% for the 23 patients with stages IIIB or IV. CONCLUSION: The presenting features found in these patients are similar to those reported from other low-income countries. In our experience, however, the high prevalence of the mixed cellularity subtype was not associated with poorer prognosis. Satisfactory results have been achieved in patients with stages I, II or IIIA HD using COPP or COPP-ABV (hybrid) regimens without RT. The treatment was also well tolerated and can thus be recommended for these patients in low-income countries, where RT facilities may be scarce or unavailable. The use of more aggressive treatment schedules and/or RT on involved fields in front-line treatment may, however, be needed for the more advanced stages IIIB or IV. Large studies with adequate follow-up are needed to evaluate whether, if RT is omitted, higher cumulative doses of more toxic drugs are required and thus compare the long-term toxic effects of different treatment modalities.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Hemin induces germ tube formation in Candida albicans.

Hemin induced germination of Candida albicans blastoconidia when cells grown up to the early exponential phase were shifted from 28 to 37 degrees C (70 to 75% of cells exhibited germ tubes). N-Acetyl-D-glucosamine (GlcNAc), another inducer of myceliation in this fungus, caused a similar effect. The combination of hemin and GlcNAc resulted in a higher percentage (95%) of blastoconidial germination. These results suggest that in addition to temperature, hemin levels and carbon source may coordinately regulate the expression of subsets of genes involved in the yeast-to-mycelium transition in C. albicans.

Acetylglucosamine↗
PubMed1997

The glycolytic enzyme glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase of Candida albicans is a surface antigen.

A lambda gt11 cDNA library from Candida albicans ATCC 26555 was screened by using pooled sera from two patients with systemic candidiasis and five neutropenic patients with high levels of anti-C. albicans immunoglobulin M antibodies. Seven clones were isolated from 60,000 recombinant phages. The most reactive one contained a 0.9-kb cDNA encoding a polypeptide immunoreactive only with sera from patients with systemic candidiasis. The whole gene was isolated from a genomic library by using the cDNA as a probe. The nucleotide sequence of the coding region showed homology (78 to 79%) to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae TDH1 to TDH3 genes coding for glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), and their amino acid sequences showed 76% identity; thus, this gene has been named C. albicans TDH1. A rabbit polyclonal antiserum against the purified cytosolic C. albicans GAPDH (polyclonal antibody [PAb] anti-CA-GAPDH) was used to identify the GAPDH in the beta-mercaptoethanol extracts containing cell wall moieties. Indirect immunofluorescence demonstrated the presence of GAPDH at the C. albicans cell surface, particularly on the blastoconidia. Semiquantitative flow cytometry analysis showed the sensitivity of this GAPDH form to trypsin and its resistance to be removed with 2 M NaCl or 2% sodium dodecyl sulfate. The decrease in fluorescence in the presence of soluble GAPDH indicates the specificity of the labelling. In addition, a dose-dependent GAPDH enzymatic activity was detected in intact blastoconidia and germ tube cells. This activity was reduced by pretreatment of the cells with trypsin, formaldehyde, and PAb anti-CA-GAPDH. These observations indicate that an immunogenic, enzymatically active cell wall-associated form of the glycolytic enzyme GAPDH is found at the cell surface of C. albicans cells.

Antibodies, Fungal↗
PubMed1997

Dichloromethane metabolism to formaldehyde and reaction of formaldehyde with nucleic acids in hepatocytes of rodents and humans with and without glutathione S-transferase T1 and M1 genes.

Metabolism of dichloromethane (DCM) to formaldehyde (HCHO) via a glutathione S-transferase (GST) pathway is thought to be required for its carcinogenic effects in B6C3F1 mice. In humans, this reaction is catalyzed primarily by the protein product of the gene GSTT1, a member of the Theta class of GST, and perhaps to a small extent by the protein product of the gene GSTM1. Humans are polymorphic with respect to both genes. Since HCHO may bind to both DNA and RNA forming DNA-protein crosslinks (DPX) and RNA-formaldehyde adducts (RFA), respectively, these products were determined in isolated hepatocytes from B6C3F1 mice, F344 rats, Syrian golden hamsters, and humans to compare species with respect to the production of HCHO from DCM and its reaction with nucleic acids. Only mouse hepatocytes formed detectable amounts of DPX, the quantities of which corresponded well with quantities of DPX formed in the livers of mice exposed to DCM in vivo [Casanova, M., Conolly, R.B., and Heck, H. d'A. (1996). Fundam. Appl. Toxicol. 31, 103-116]. Hepatocytes from all rodent species and from humans with functional GSTT1 and GSTM1 genes formed RFA. No RFA were detected in human cells lacking these genes. Yields of RFA in hepatocytes of mice were 4-fold higher than in those of rats, 7-fold higher than in those of humans, and 14-fold higher than in those of hamsters. The RFA:DPX ratio in mouse hepatocytes incubated with DCM was approximately 9.0 +/- 1.4, but it was 1.1 +/- 0.3 when HCHO was added directly to the medium, indicating that HCHO generated internally from DCM is not equivalent to that added externally to cells and that it may occupy separate pools. DPX were not detected in human hepatocytes even at concentrations equivalent to an in vivo exposure of 10,000 ppm; however, the possibility that very small amounts of DPX were produced from DCM cannot be excluded, since HCHO was formed in human cells. Maximal amounts of DPXliver that might be formed in humans were predicted from the amounts in mice and the relative amounts of RFA in hepatocytes of both species. With predicted DPXliver as the dosimeter, the unit risk, the upper 95% confidence limit on the cancer risk, and the margin of exposure were calculated at several concentrations using the linearized multistage and benchmark dose methods. Since the actual delivered dose is smaller than that predicted, the results suggest that DCM poses at most a very low risk of liver cancer to humans.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

[Clinical characteristics of the peripheral form of epidemic neuropathy in the province of Cienfuegos].

INTRODUCTION: From October 1992 to September 1993 clinical observations of the civil population of Cienfuegos revealed the presence of epidemic neuropathy (EN) reaching about 2,000 patients. The clinical manifestations were not uniform. Although numerous studies have been carried out in our country, none have established the characteristics of EN 'the peripheral form'. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We studied the first 50 patients assisted by the neurological services of the clinical surgical hospital Dr. Gustavo Aldereguia Lima of Cienfuegos diagnosed of EN 'peripheral form' according to the procedure established by Ministry of Public Health of Cuba. A clinical history was made for each patient consisting of: General data, history of toxic, nutritional, malabsorption factors and chronic illnesses; symptoms and a neurological examinations. Laboratory test, in a group of patients, were done in sera, urine, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), gastric juice and neurophysiological studies that included computerized evoked potentials and electroencephalograms registers. RESULTS: Upon analysis of the clinical history, nutritional factors was common to all the patients associated to toxic and malabsorption. The clinical forms were neuropathy (NP) 48%, myeloneuropathy (MNP) 42% and myelopathy (MP) 10%. Retrobulbar optic neuropathy was observed in 42% of the patients and auditory neuropathy in 22%. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical characteristics of NP, in our cases, indicated that this disease fundamentally affects the sensorial neurons and the sensitive peripheral nerves, bilaterally, symmetrically, distally and predominantly in lower limbs. The pathological process has been associated with a distal axonopathy. However, clinic signs of myelopathy can be found up to 40% frequently combined with neuropathy or in isolated form, and seems to affect the posterior and lateral columns of the spinal cord, mainly at thoraciclumbar level. Neuropathy of central nervous system is unknown since no patient has died of EN.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Expression of the fibrinogen binding mannoprotein and the laminin receptor of Candida albicans in vitro and in infected tissues.

We have previously reported a 37 kDa laminin-binding protein (p37) and a 58 kDa fibrinogen-binding mannoprotein (mp58) on the surface of Candida albicans. A few yeast cells expressed both functional receptors at the surface while germ tubes expressed a functional mp58 fibrinogen but not a functional p37 laminin receptor. These receptors were heterogeneously dispersed at the surface as shown by binding of rabbit antiserum to mp58 (PAb anti-mp58) and antiserum to the human high affinity laminin receptor. In this report we have used a dual fluorescence technique to determine if the two receptors colocalize, perhaps as part of a receptor complex. Fibrinogen was used as a probe for mp58 and polyclonal antiserum generated to the p37 (PAb anti-p37) was used as a probe for the 37 kDa laminin-binding protein. Both receptors were heterogeneously distributed, but the receptors were not colocalized as the areas of concentration of each receptor were different. Immunohistochemical analysis of tissue sections from patients with disseminated and superficial candidiasis with PAb anti-p37 and PAb anti-mp58 revealed that both receptors were also expressed in infected tissues. The patterns of morphological expression were similar to the in vitro patterns detected by immunofluorescence.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Corpus callosum morphology, as measured with MRI, in dyslexic men.

To test the hypothesis of anomalous anatomy in posterior brain regions associated with language and reading, the corpus callosum was imaged in the midsagittal plane with magnetic resonance. The areas of the anterior, middle, and posterior segments were measured in 21 dyslexic men (mean age 27 yrs, SD 6) and in 19 matched controls. As predicted, the area of the posterior third of the corpus callosum, roughly equivalent to the isthmus and splenium, was larger in dyslexic men than in controls. No differences were seen in the anterior or middle corpus callosum. The increased area of the posterior corpus callosum may reflect anatomical variation associated with deficient lateralization of function in posterior language regions of the cortex and their right-sided homologues, hypothesized to differ in patients with dyslexia.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

DNA-protein cross-links (DPX) and cell proliferation in B6C3F1 mice but not Syrian golden hamsters exposed to dichloromethane: pharmacokinetics and risk assessment with DPX as dosimeter.

Dichloromethane (DCM) (methylene chloride; CH2Cl2) is metabolized via a glutathione S-transferase-mediated pathway to formaldehyde (HCHO), a mutagenic compound that could play a role in the carcinogenic effects of DCM observed in the liver and lungs of B6C3F1 mice at 2000 and 4000 ppm. Mice but not hamsters formed DNA-protein cross-links (DPX) in the liver at DCM concentrations ranging from approximately 500 to 4000 ppm. The formation of DPX was a nonlinear function of the airborne concentration of DCM. In addition, mice exposed to DCM (6 hr/day, 3 days) at concentrations ranging from approximately 1500 to 4000 ppm showed an increased rate of DNA synthesis in the lung indicating cell proliferation, but increased cell turnover was not detected in mouse lung at exposure concentrations of 150 or 500 ppm. Hamsters showed no evidence of cell proliferation in the lung at any concentration, and cell proliferation was not apparent in the livers of either mice or hamsters. An extended physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model for DPX formation in mouse liver was developed, based on a published PBPK model for DCM (Andersen, M.E., Clewell, H.J., III, Gargas, M.L., Smith, F.A., and Reitz, R.H. (1987). Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol. 87, 185-205). The extended PBPK model was fitted to the DPX data using the PBPK model-estimated area under the curve for DCM in mouse liver as the independent variable. Parameter estimates for HCHO disposition in the livers of mice exposed to dichloromethane were similar to previously published estimates for HCHO disposition in the nasal mucosa of rats exposed to formaldehyde. Using the extended PBPK model, estimates were made of the yields of DPX presumably formed in mouse liver at the DCM concentrations used in a bioassay (Mennear, J.H., McConnell, E.E., Huff, J.E., Renne, R.A., and Giddens, E. (1988). Ann. NY Acad. Sci. 534, 343-351). The tumor incidence data in mice were fitted to the DPX yields and to the airborne concentration of DCM as alternative measures of exposure using the linearized multistage (LMS) model. The two dose measures yielded similar maximum likelihood estimates for the cancer risk at concentrations from 10 to 100 ppm, but the upper 95% confidence limit on the risk was reduced by two orders of magnitude when DPX rather than the airborne concentration was used as the measure of exposure. The results demonstrate that an internal dosimeter such as DPX can markedly improve the precision of low-dose risk estimates, while having only a minor effect on the maximum likelihood estimates calculated with the LMS model.

Administration, Inhalation↗
PubMed1996

Common and form-specific cell wall antigens of Candida albicans as released by chemical and enzymatic treatments.

In order to investigate the antigenic properties of the proteins and mannoproteins present in the cell surface of Candida albicans, and to identify individual antigenic moieties and their distribution, a number of polyclonal antisera were obtained by immunizing rabbits with chemical and enzymatic cell wall extracts obtained from intact cells from both growth forms (yeast and mycelium) of the fungus. Prior to injection, wall moieties present in the extracts were subjected to different treatments and/or purification procedures such as adsorption onto polystyrenelatex microbeads or electrophoretic separation. When used as probes in indirect immunofluorescence assays, the different antisera gave rise to different fluorescence patterns varying in intensity and topological localization of the reactivity in C. albicans cells. When the different antisera were used as probes in Western blots of wall proteinaceous materials solubilized from both blastospores and germ tubes, differences in reactivity and specificity were readily discernible, allowing to identify a number of common and form-specific cell wall components. Of special interest was the fact that one of the antisera raised, after adsorption onto heat-killed blastospores, specifically recognized medium to low molecular weight moieties present only in the cell wall extracts from germ tubes. When this antiserum was used as probe in immunofluorescence assays, reactivity was confined to the hyphal extensions. Together, these observations seem to indicate that the different antibody preparations described in this report could represent important tools in the study of different aspects of the cell wall biology in C. albicans, including the identification and study of the distribution of common and form-specific cell wall-bound antigens.

Antibodies, Fungal↗
PubMed1996

Cell wall protein and glycoprotein constituents of Aspergillus fumigatus that bind to polystyrene may be responsible for the cell surface hydrophobicity of the mycelium.

Cell surface hydrophobicity (CSH) of Aspergillus fumigatus grown both in complex medium (yeast extract/peptone/dextrose; YPD) and minimal (Vogel's N) medium was monitored by assessing attachment of polystyrene microspheres to the cell surface. It was found that mature mycelium was hydrophobic. Treatment of intact mycelium with beta-mercaptoethanol (beta ME) abolished binding of the microspheres to hyphal elements, and coating of the microspheres with beta ME extracts from mycelium inhibited their attachment to intact mycelial cells. A. fumigatus mycelium was tagged in vivo with biotin and treated with beta ME. The beta ME extracts were analysed by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting with both peroxidase-conjugated-ExtrAvidin and concanavalin A (ConA). This procedure allowed identification of cell wall surface proteins and glycoproteins. Rabbit polyclonal antisera were raised against beta ME extracts obtained from cells grown in YPD and Vogel's N media. These antisera defined some major cell-wall-bound antigens. SDS-PAGE and Western blotting analysis of the cell wall material released by beta ME and adsorbed on polystyrene microspheres revealed about 19 protein species with apparent molecular masses ranging from 20 to 70 kDa, and two high-molecular-mass glycoproteins of 115 and 210 kDa. Treatment of cells grown in YPD, but not those grown in Vogel's N medium, with beta ME released a 55 kDa polypeptide able to adsorb to polystyrene microspheres that was detectable with the antisera. The ability to bind to polystyrene particles exhibited by several protein and glycoprotein species released by beta ME treatment suggested that these cell wall moieties possess exposed hydrophobic domains that could be responsible for the CSH of mycelium.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Transgenic mice overexpressing the human Cu/Zn-SOD gene: ultrastructural studies of a premature thymic involution model of Down's syndrome (trisomy 21).

It has been suggested that the overexpression of copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD-1) in Down's syndrome (DS) patients may be involved in expression of some of the phenotypic characteristics observed in these patients. To explore the possible role of SOD-1 overexpression in the premature thymic involution and immunologic disorders observed in DS patients, transgenic mice overexpressing the human SOD-1 gene have been generated and their thymuses have been studied at the ultrastructural level. Our observations show premature involution of the thymus in SOD-1 transgenic mice, with a strong modification of the thymic microenvironment starting at approximately 3-4 months of age. The thymic microenvironment in 7-month-old transgenic mice is similar to that observed in 20-month-old control mice. We suggest that these results are consistent with the role of SOD-1 overexpression in the early thymic involution observed in DS patients. These transgenic mice provide an interesting model to investigate the deleterious effect of increased dosage of some chromosome 21 genes such as SOD-1 in the pathogenesis of DS.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

[Cystic duplication of the esophagus, a rare etiology of dysphagia. Apropos of a case].

A case of an upper oesophageal duplication in a 44 year old man was reported. Dysphagia was the only clinical signs and further examinations CT Scan, MRI performed for diagnosis. Surgical treatment (thoracotomy) was performed and postoperative complication was underlined. Cysts with oesophageal structure are unusual anomaly and surgery is difficult and dangerous.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Preliminary characterization of the material released to the culture medium by Candida albicans yeast and mycelial cells.

Culture filtrate concentrates were obtained from Candida albicans yeast and mycelial cells grown in the presence of 14C-protein hydrolysate for radioactive labeling of cellular polypeptides. Both growth forms released to the medium minor but significant amounts of proteinaceous materials. The analysis of culture filtrate concentrates by means of SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and fluorography revealed a similar and complex electrophoretic pattern, though some qualitative and quantitative differences between samples obtained from yeast and mycelial cells were observed. Materials released, mostly composed of mannoproteins as shown by their affinity towards concanavalin A, presented (i) cross-reactivity (by Western immunoblotting and ELISA) against polyclonal antisera to genuine cell wall components (among them the 58-kilodalton fibrinogen-binding mannoprotein) and (ii) high affinity for polystyrene-latex microbeads. Results presented suggest a possible common identity for the molecules shed to the medium and the cell wall protein and mannoprotein constituents.

Antibodies, Fungal↗