Comparative serological reactivities of twenty-seven polysaccharides from nine species of dermatophytes

The serological cross-reactivities of galactomannans I, galactomannans II and glucans isolated from 9 dermatophyte species, viz Microsporum praecox, Trichophyton ferrugineum, T. interdigitale, T. mentagrophytes, T. quinckeanum, T. rubrum, T. sabouraudii, T. schönleinii and T. tonsurans, were measured with antisera to each of these species by complement fixation tests. The galactomannans I were the most reactive polysaccharides. They cross-reacted with each of the antisera and differed most in their cross-reactivities with antisera to T. interdigitale, T. sabourandii and T. schönleinii. The galactomannans II were less reactive. They differed in their cross-reactivities with antisera to each species. The glucans were the least reactive with these antisera and differed in their serological cross-reactivities. In no 2 species were the chemical structures and serological reactivities of the 3 polysaccharides identical. The chemical and serological investigations of these polysaccharides tend to support the view that each species examined is distinct.