Aspergillus fumigatus specific IgE and IgG antibodies for diagnosis of Aspergillus-related lung diseases

IgE and IgG antibodies against Aspergillus fumigatus were detected by crossed radio immunoelectrophoresis (CRIE) on the sera of seven patients with aspergilloma, six patients with allergic broncho-pulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) and 25 patients with extrinsic asthma with Aspergillus allergy. IgE-CRIE analysis indicated the presence of A. fumigatus-specific IgE in sera of patients with ABPA and Aspergillus asthma but not of aspergilloma patients. IgG-CRIE showed that both aspergilloma and ABPA patient sera contained high levels of circulating specific IgG antibodies in contrast to sera of Aspergillus asthma patients, which did not show detectable amounts of Aspergillus-specific IgG antibodies. Specific IgE binding could be demonstrated for the major allergens Ag-10 and AG-40 in all ABPA patients, in 80% of Aspergillus asthma patients but not in sera from aspergilloma patients. Specific IgG antibodies directed towards the major allergens could be detected in most of the aspergilloma patients, between 30-70% of the ABPA patients but not in sera from patients with Aspergillus asthma.