Candida albicans-induced agglutinin and immunoglobulin E responses in mice

Mice varied in their ability to make detectable antibody responses to cell surface determinants of Candida albicans depending upon the antigen preparation and the immunization schedule used. Immunoglobulin M (IgM) appeared to be the major class of antibody responsible for the C. albicans-agglutinating activity of the immune sera. Various inbred strains of mice injected with a ribosomal fraction from C. albicans produced a low titer (average, 4 to 8) of yeast cell agglutinins and a higher titer (64 to 512) of IgE antibodies detected by passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) in rats. The two kinds of antibodies appeared to be specific for different antigens because the agglutinin, but not IgE, could be removed by absorbing the serum with a polysaccharide from the cell wall of C. albicans, but the polysaccharide did not provoke the PCA reaction. C. albicans-specific IgE antibodies showed cross-reactivity (PCA) with ribosomal antigens from a strain of C. albicans and C. tropicalis, but PCA reactions could not be elicited with similar antigen preparations from other yeast species. IgE responses were also detected in over 20% of the mice infected intravenously or intraperitoneally with live C. albicans.