Preparation of monoclonal antibodies that differentiate between Histoplasma capsulatum variant capsulatum and H. capsulatum variant duboisii

Abstract

<p>The immunosuppressive drug cyclophosphamide was used to facilitate the production of monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) which differentiated between the yeast phase of the two variants of the dimorphic fungus <i>Histoplasma capsulatum</i> by both enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blot. Two Mabs are described, identifying epitopes on a 70-75 kDa molecule, which are specific to <i>H. capsulatum</i> var. capsulatum and which do not identify epitopes of <i>H. capsulatum</i> var. duboisii. These Mabs have potential use in the epidemiology and serodiagnosis of histoplasmosis in areas where both classical and African forms of the disease occur.</p>