Skip to main content
NCBI home page
The Journal of Hygiene logoLink to The Journal of Hygiene
. 1973 Mar;71(1):185–192.1. doi: 10.1017/s0022172400046350

Micropolyspora faeni and farmer's lung disease

S M Fletcher, C J M Rondle
PMCID: PMC2130453  PMID: 4632826

Abstract

Several methods were used to obtain serologically active materials from cultures of Micropolyspora faeni. From the results of immunodiffusion and immunoelectrophoresis tests on these materials it is suggested that preparations for the laboratory diagnosis of farmer's lung disease (FLD) should contain concentrated culture supernatant (CS) and extracts of mycelium obtained by ultrasonic treatment (MU). Although CS and MU have many serological activities in common they also possess activities unique to each.

Extraction of mycelium with trichloracetic acid, boiling water or methanol yielded a product which gave simple patterns in immunodiffusion tests. The products contained little protein but were rich in carbohydrates, particularly arabinose, galactose and glucosamine. A similar material was obtained from a cell-wall preparation by treatment with lysozyme. Antibodies to the serologically active substances in these materials occurred more frequently in sera of patients with FLD than antibodies to any other M. faeni antigen.

Attempts to obtain serologically active materials from spores were unsuccessful. Moreover antibodies to M. faeni could not be removed from patients' sera by absorption with partially purified spore preparations. It is suggested that the hypersensitivity in FLD arises from exposure to mycelial antigens.

Full text

PDF
185

Images in this article

192-1Fig. 1
on p.192-1
192-1Fig. 2
on p.192-1
192-1Fig. 3
on p.192-1
192-1Fig. 4
on p.192-1

Selected References

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

  1. 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]
  2. JENKINS P. A., PEPYS J. FOG-FEVER. PRECIPITIN (FLH) REACTIONS TO MOULDY HAY. Vet Rec. 1965 Apr 24;77:464–466. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. 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]
  4. Jermyn M. A., Isherwood F. A. Improved separation of sugars on the paper partition chromatogram. Biochem J. 1949;44(4):402–407. doi: 10.1042/bj0440402. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. 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]
  6. 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]
  7. 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]
  8. 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]
  9. 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]
  10. Partridge S. M. Filter-paper partition chromatography of sugars: 1. General description and application to the qualitative analysis of sugars in apple juice, egg white and foetal blood of sheep. with a note by R. G. Westall. Biochem J. 1948;42(2):238–250. doi: 10.1042/bj0420238. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. SCHEIDEGGER J. J. Une micro-méthode de l'immuno-electrophorèse. Int Arch Allergy Appl Immunol. 1955;7(2):103–110. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. TREVELYAN W. E., PROCTER D. P., HARRISON J. S. Detection of sugars on paper chromatograms. Nature. 1950 Sep 9;166(4219):444–445. doi: 10.1038/166444b0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. WENZEL F., EMANUEL D. A., LAWTON B. R., MAGNIN G. E. ISOLATION OF THE CAUSATIVE AGENT OF FARMER'S LUNG. Ann Allergy. 1964 Oct;22:533–540. [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 The Journal of Hygiene are provided here courtesy of Cambridge University Press

RESOURCES