Study of humoral and cellular immunity in lobomycosis

Fourteen patients with lobomycosis from the Amazon Basin were studied in order to assess their humoral and cellular immunological responses. The humoral response was normal, as shown by the normal levels of serum immunoglovulins. The cellular immunity was depressed for recent sensitizations as measured by skin contact test with DNCB (negative in 83.3% of 12 patients). The intradermal reactions to PPD and fungal extracts suggested that all patients were able to respond to at least 2 of the antigens used. It was also observed that patients reacting to PPD did not become sensitized to DNCB. Conversely, some Mantoux negative patients had positive reactions to DNCB. Both tests were negative in 3 patients.