Immunologic Studies of Disseminated Infection with Aspergillus fumigatus in the Nude Mouse

Immunity to infection with Aspergillus fumigatus conidia was studied in the athymic nude (nu/nu) mouse. The intratracheal, intravenous, and intraperitoneal routes of infection were used. Nu/nu mice were not significantly more susceptible than their heterozygous (nu/+) littermates. However, only nu/+ animals could be protected by prior immunization and developed positive, A. fumigatus-specific skin tests. Protection could be transferred to nu/nu recipients by immune glass-adherent cells. Thus, immunity to invasive aspergillus infection is multifactorial and depends on a glass-adherent cell population and T-cells.