Gump D W, Babbott F L, Holly C, Sylwester D L
Respiration. 1979;37(1):52-60. doi: 10.1159/000194007.
Several Vermont population groups were surveyed for the occurrence of antibodies to thermophilic actinomycetes. Antibodies to M. faeni and T. vulgaris were measured by the precipitin method in all subjects and, in 124 subjects, M. faeni antibodies were also measured by the indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) technique. There was relatively good correlation between the two techniques (r 0.48, p less than 0.01). Hospital employees, blood donors and patients with chronic bronchitis were generally negative for precipitins to thermophilic actinomycetes. Of the 258 Vermont dairy farmers surveyed, 14 (5.4%) had precipitins to M. faeni, 3 (1.2%) had precipitins to T. vulgaris but only 1 farmer with antibodies to M. faeni had symptoms of possible farmer's lung disease (FLD). On the other hand, 10 (4.1%) precipitin-negative farmers had symptoms possibly consistent with FLD. The IFA test did not correlate any better with symptoms. 7 (5.6%) patients with pulmonary fibrosis had precipitins to M. faeni 5 of these were diagnosed as having FLD. 18 (14.4%) had precipitins to T. vulgaris and only 3 of these patients were felt to have hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Patients with pulmonary fibrosis and FLD hat IFA titers of greater than or equal to 1/128, but so did asymptomatic farmers.
对佛蒙特州的几个群体进行了调查，以了解嗜热放线菌抗体的出现情况。通过沉淀法对所有受试者检测了对费氏嗜热放线菌和普通嗜热放线菌的抗体，并且对124名受试者还用间接荧光抗体（IFA）技术检测了费氏嗜热放线菌抗体。两种技术之间存在较好的相关性（r = 0.48，p < 0.01）。医院员工、献血者和慢性支气管炎患者对嗜热放线菌的沉淀素通常呈阴性。在接受调查的258名佛蒙特州奶农中，14人（5.4%）对费氏嗜热放线菌有沉淀素，3人（1.2%）对普通嗜热放线菌有沉淀素，但只有1名有费氏嗜热放线菌抗体的奶农有疑似农民肺疾病（FLD）的症状。另一方面，10名（4.1%）沉淀素阴性的奶农有可能与FLD相符的症状。IFA检测与症状的相关性也不强。7名（5.6%）肺纤维化患者对费氏嗜热放线菌有沉淀素，其中5人被诊断为患有FLD。18名（14.4%）患者对普通嗜热放线菌有沉淀素，其中只有3名患者被认为患有过敏性肺炎。肺纤维化和FLD患者的IFA滴度大于或等于1/128，但无症状的奶农也是如此。
