Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Clinical and Experimental Immunology logoLink to Clinical and Experimental Immunology
. 1972 Jul;11(3):341–355.

The isolation of antigens associated with farmer's lung

J H Edwards
PMCID: PMC1553669  PMID: 5042918

Abstract

The isolation and physicochemical characterization of three of the `major' farmer's lung antigens derived from Micropolyspora faeni is recorded. Antigen 1, the major antigen in the C region is a glycopeptide with an average molecular weight of 85,000 and exhibits extreme heat stability being unaffected by 120°C for 7 days. Antigens 2 and 3, the major antigens in the A and B regions respectively are proteins whose molecular weights are 44,000 and 77,000 respectively and are thermolabile with half lives of 25 days and 20 days at 50°C respectively. The extreme thermolability of certain other antigens is described and their absence from mouldy hay known to be associated with cases of farmer's lung and other considerations suggest that the antigenic stimulus in farmer's lung may in part be attributable to the germination and possible limited development of M. faeni spores in the lungs.

Full text

PDF
341

Images in this article

344Fig. 1
on p.344
345Fig. 2
on p.345
346Fig. 3
on p.346
347Fig. 4
on p.347
348Fig. 5
on p.348
349Fig. 6
on p.349
350Fig. 7
on p.350
352Fig. 8
on p.352

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Andrews P. Estimation of the molecular weights of proteins by Sephadex gel-filtration. Biochem J. 1964 May;91(2):222–233. doi: 10.1042/bj0910222. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. BARBEE R. A., DICKIE H. A., RANKIN J. PATHOGENICITY OF SPECIFIC GLYCOPEPTIDE ANTIGEN IN FARMER'S LUNG. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1965 Feb;118:546–550. doi: 10.3181/00379727-118-29901. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. CORBAZ R., GREGORY P. H., LACEY M. E. THERMOPHILIC AND MESOPHILIC ACTINOMYCETES IN MOULDY HAY. J Gen Microbiol. 1963 Sep;32:449–454. doi: 10.1099/00221287-32-3-449. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Fletcher S. M., Rondle C. J., Murray I. G. The extracellular antigens of Micropolyspora faeni: their significance in farmer's lung disease. J Hyg (Lond) 1970 Sep;68(3):401–409. doi: 10.1017/s0022172400042303. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Hapke E. J., Seal R. M., Thomas G. O., Hayes M., Meek J. C. Farmer's lung. A clinical, radiographic, functional, and serological correlation of acute and chronic stages. Thorax. 1968 Sep;23(5):451–468. doi: 10.1136/thx.23.5.451. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Jameson J. E. Rapid and sensitive precipitin test for the diagnosis of farmer's lung using immunoosmophoresis. J Clin Pathol. 1968 May;21(3):376–382. doi: 10.1136/jcp.21.3.376. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. KOBAYASHI M., STAHMANN M. A., RANKIN J., DICKIE H. A. Antigens in moldy hay as the cause of farmer's lung. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1963 Jun;113:472–476. doi: 10.3181/00379727-113-28400. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. LOWRY O. H., ROSEBROUGH N. J., FARR A. L., RANDALL R. J. Protein measurement with the Folin phenol reagent. J Biol Chem. 1951 Nov;193(1):265–275. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. LaBerge D. E., Stahmann M. A. Antigens from Thermopolyspora polyspora involved in farmer's lung. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1966 Feb;121(2):463–468. doi: 10.3181/00379727-121-30805. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. LaBerge D. E., Stahmann M. A. Antigens from moldy hay involved in farmer's lung. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1966 Feb;121(2):458–462. doi: 10.3181/00379727-121-30804. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. OSSERMAN E. F. A modified technique of immunoelectrophoresis facilitating the identification of specific precipitin arcs. J Immunol. 1960 Jan;84:93–97. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. PEPYS J., JENKINS P. A., FESTENSTEIN G. N., GREGORY P. H., LACEY M. E., SKINNER F. A. FARMER'S LUNG. THERMOPHILIC ACTINOMYCETES AS A SOURCE OF "FARMER'S LUNG HAY" ANTIGEN. Lancet. 1963 Sep 21;2(7308):607–611. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(63)90398-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. PEPYS J., JENKINS P. A. PRECIPITIN (F.L.H.) TEST IN FARMER'S LUNG. Thorax. 1965 Jan;20:21–35. doi: 10.1136/thx.20.1.21. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Walbaum S., Biguet J., Tran-Van-Ky P. Structure antigénique de Thermopolyspora polyspora. Répercussions pratiques sur le diagnostic du "poumon du fermier". Ann Inst Pasteur (Paris) 1969 Nov;117(5):673–693. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Clinical and Experimental Immunology are provided here courtesy of British Society for Immunology

RESOURCES