Galactomannan antigenemia in invasive aspergillosis

Galactomannan (GM) extracted from mycelia of Aspergillus fumigatus with cold dilute alkali reacted with antiserum specific for an antigen that circulated in invasive aspergillosis in rabbits and humans. The GM was purified by its affinity for concanavalin A and was separated from a nonantigenic glucan by gel permeation on Sephacryl S-200. The GM molecular weight of between 25,000 to 75,000 was smaller than the antigen present in infected rabbit serum which was retained by an ultrafiltration membrane that had a nominal molecular weight limit of 125,000. The ratio of galactose to mannose present in GM was 1:1.17. The serological activity of GM was stable to boiling but labile to 0.01 N HCl, implicating galactofuranose as an antigenic determinant. Analysis of purified GM by methylation-gas chromatography suggested a structure consisting of a 1 leads to 6-linked mannan backbone with oligogalactoside side chains 3 units long, terminating in galactofuranose. The presence of mannose as a side chain component was also inferred. Another antigen of A. fumigatus, which did not bind to concanavalin A, was isolated after tandem chromatography on diethylaminoethyl- and carboxymethyl-Sephadex and was identified as a galactan. The galactan inhibited the immune precipitation of GM was specific antiserum.