Antibody Response to Pneumocystis jirovecii

• Main Authors: Kieran R. Daly, Laurence Huang, Alison Morris, Judy Koch, Kristina Crothers, Linda Levin, Shary Eiser, Supriya Satwah, Patrizia Zucchi, Peter D. Walzer
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2006-08-01
• Series: Emerging Infectious Diseases
• Subjects: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV); Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS); Pneumocystis pneumonia; Pneumocystis jirovecii; Recombinant antigens; Major surface glycoprotein (Msg)
• Online Access: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/12/8/06-0230_article
• ISSN: 1080-6040; 1080-6059

We conducted a prospective pilot study of the serologic responses to overlapping recombinant fragments of the Pneumocystis jirovecii major surface glycoprotein (Msg) in HIV-infected patients with pneumonia due to P. jirovecii and other causes. Similar baseline geometric mean antibody levels to the fragments measured by an ELISA were found in both groups. Serum antibodies to MsgC in P. jirovecii patients rose to a peak level 3–4 weeks (p<0.001) after recovery from pneumocystosis; baseline CD4+ count >50 cells/μL and first episode of pneumocystosis were the principal host factors associated with this rise (both p<0.001). Thus, MsgC shows promise as a serologic reagent and should be tested further in clinical and epidemiologic studies.