The Journal of laboratory and clinical medicine
-
Patients with cystic fibrosis frequently have pulmonary colonization with Aspergillus fumigatus (Af) and develop anti-Af immunoglobulin E (IgE) and IgG antibodies. The diagnosis of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis in subjects with cystic fibrosis is difficult because of the high incidence of Af colonization, with development of humoral antibody responses. In this study, we sequentially measured serum anti-Af IgE (Af-E) and IgG (Af-G) antibodies by ELISA in subjects with cystic fibrosis. ⋯ In addition, increased Af-E and Af-G levels were sometimes seen in other groups, especially subjects with cystic fibrosis who had positive Af skin tests or precipitin tests, two of whom later developed criteria diagnostic of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis. Thus, serum Af-E and Af-G levels were quantitatively increased in subjects with cystic fibrosis who had allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis and thus adjunctive data in diagnosis. However, it also suggested that subclinical pulmonary inflammation may also occur.