Antigenicity of Penicillium notatum in animals and in atopic patients

A mycelial and metabolic extract of Penicillium notatum (PN) was passed through Sephadex G-50 and DEAE-cellulose columns in order to separate soluble fractions that revealed a complex composition. Their proteins and hexoses were recorded with a LKB Uvicord spectrophotometer and quantified by the Lowry and the indol techniques. On the other hand an animal model was developed in rabbits and an IgG precipitin and hemagglutinating antibodies were obtained. The PN extract as well as those fractions with the higher protein content appeared positive when they were checked against the antiserum by means of Ouchterlony, Boyden and immunoelectrophoresis. The molecular weight of PN was established in 52,000 daltons approximately in comparison with well known marker proteins. Adult human beings suffering perennial rhinitis and bronchial asthma showed positive type I skin tests with PN and its most conspicuous fractions (glycoproteins). A RAST-IgE-anti-PN was prepared following Ceska's procedure and challenged against all human sera. Only 40% of the patients revealed a positive RAST IgE-anti-PN which correlated significatively with the protein fractions (35%) and with the skin tests (43% and 39%, respectively). These results reinforced the idea that PN is a potent antigenic mold both in animals and in humans in whom we detected an IgE specific antibody presumably related to their atopic clinical condition.