ABSTRACT
The discovery that a T lymphocyte-produced substance induces lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated murine B lymphocytes to secrete IgGl demonstrated that lymphokines could play a role in selecting the isotypes of antibodies that are to be produced during the immune response. In addition to antibodies, complement and other nonspecific components of the host humoral system, can interact with other host defense mechanisms in ways that may profoundly influence the course of mycosis. Polyclonal B-cell activation is a well documented phenomenon in several infectious diseases. The inhibition of the mitogen-induced proliferative response of normal human lymphocytes is altered in the presence of serum from paracoccidioidomycosis patients who had high levels of circulating immune complexes (CIC). Identification of the antigens capable of eliciting antibody responses to an infectious agent can lead to the understanding of the immune response to a pathogenic organism at the level of individual molecules or epitopes.
