The Practical Application of Some Immuno- Logic Principles to the Diagnosis and Treatment of Certain Fungus Infections'

The clinical management of a patient with systemic fungus infection is dependent upon so many different factors that no single form of therapy can be recommended for any one mycosis. Because of variations in response to different types of therapy, the clinical course must be the chief guide in the treatment of each patient. It is the purpose of this paper to present immunologic data obtained in a few cases of mycotic infection and to correlate these findings with the results of various therapeutic procedures. It should be emphasized that there are certain fundamental differences between the reaction of the animal tissues to invasion by fungi and that produced by viruses or bacteria. Bacteria and viruses are small-sized and often toxic, frequently causing acute and severe pathologic changes to which the infected animal usually responds with the formation of large amounts of easily detectable antibodies. In contrast, the fungi are larger, much less toxic and the animal usually responds sluggishly to the infection. The fungi multiply more slowly in the tissues, and being less antigenic, they do not stimulate the tissues of the infected animal to rapid antibody formation. Furthermore, because of the more complex morphology of the fungi in culture, it is more difficult to prepare smooth, particulate suspensions for use as