Abstract
Summary
By using a purified polysaccharide from Nocardia brasiliensis (Poly II Nb), precipitins were detected in sera of patients with mycetoma caused by this microorganism. Poly II Nb appears to be highly specific in the agar double-diffusion precipitin technique, since no cross-reactions were obtained with a number of sera from patients with other diseases, including tuberculosis, leprosy, actinomycosis, and mycetoma due to Streptomyces madurae. There are other polysaccharides in N. brasiliensis and N. asteroides (Poly I Nb and Poly I Na, respectively), which are very similar in composition, which cross-react and have lesser diagnostic specificity. Besides precipitating serum antibodies from patients with mycetoma due to N. brasiliensis, they also precipitate with sera from tuberculous and leprous patients, but not with sera from patients with certain other diseases or from healthy individuals. Purified proteins from N. brasiliensis (preparation RS-117) were used for skin tests. Positive reactions were obtained in all patients with mycetoma due to N. brasiliensis but not in patients with other diseases or in healthy individuals. It is concluded that these tests may be of value in diagnosis of mycetoma due to N. brasiliensis.
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