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Delayed Hypersensitivity to Polysaccharides from Nocardia

From the Departamento de Ecologéa Humana, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México 20, D. F. México

Abstract

The ability of purified polysaccharides, isolated from either Nocardia asteroides or Nocardia brasiliensis, to elicit a delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction was studied. From the results of chemical and physical analysis done on the purified carbohydrates obtained from these microorganisms, it was shown that these materials were devoid of demonstrable protein, RNA and DNA materials. Both polysaccharides, separately, elicited a delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction when they were skin tested in either N. asteroides- or N. brasiliensis-sensitized guinea pigs. The skin reaction, however, was usually larger in homologous sensitized animals. In addition, they also elicited an Arthus-type reaction. The presence of a common polysaccharide among them was shown by passive cutaneous anaphylatic (PCA) and double diffusion assays. Meanwhile, the carbohydrates did not induce any inflammatory reaction in nonsensitized animals.