FIG. 5.

Disease activity and level of antibodies to MAC GPL core. The levels of serum IgA antibodies to GPL core are shown before and after the completion of antimycobacterial chemotherapy for both the cured (14 MAC patients) and the failure groups (13 MAC patients). In the cured group, the culture results indicated conversion from positive to negative after successful chemotherapy, and in the failure group, the culture results indicated no conversion to negative despite treatment. All results are expressed as individual data (▪), and the bars show the mean ± standard deviation for each group. The optical density levels decreased significantly (*, P < 0.001) in the cured group of patients but were not changed (P = 0.381) in the treatment failure group. The changes of serum IgA levels of to GPL core in a 61-year-old female MAC patient who had undergone lobectomy is shown in B. IgA levels decreased rapidly after the surgery, and sputum cultures converted from positive to negative.