PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA INFECTION IN CYSTIC FIBROSIS

Abstract

Ten patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) chronically infected with mucoid P. aeruginosa, twelve CF patients without P. aeruginosa infection, and ten normal controls have been examined for humoral and cellular immune responses against P. aeruginosa by means of crossed immuno‐electrophoresis, the lymphocyte blast transformation test, the leucocyte migration agarose test and an intracutaneous test. In addition to P. aeruginosa antigens, the cellular immune response to plant mitogens, E. coli, C. albicans and tuberculin was examined. Compared with the other two groups, CF patients chronically infected with mucoid P. aeruginosa presented significantly changed laboratory parameters indicating inflammatory reactions and humoral hyperimmuniza‐tion. The results show that neither of the two groups of CF patients suffered from severe generalized immunodeficiency. However, in contrast to the pronounced humoral immune response against P. aeruginosa in chronically infected CF patients, the cellular immune response against P. aeruginosa was not significantly changed as compared with the two other groups of patients. The intracutaneous test with P. aeruginosa showed a marked difference between the groups of patients: In all chronically infected CF patients, a typical weal and flare reaction occurred, but such a reaction was not observed in the other groups of patients. No humoral or cellular immune response against mucoid substance from P. aeruginosa was found.