Immediate hypersensitivity to Cryptococcus neoformans.

The role of the capsular polysaccharide in anaphylactic reactions to Cryptococcus neoformans was investigated. Groups of mice were sensitized with viable cells of either a moderately encapsulated strain of C. neoformans or a non-encapsulated variant. Anaphylactic reactions were observed in both groups of mice to a similar extent when challenged with whole cells. Mice sensitized with the encapsulated strain and challenged with homologous polysaccharide showed only mild hypersensitivity symptoms. Mice sensitized with either the encapsulated or the nonencapsulated strain showed cross-reactivity when challenged with killed cells of the heterologous strain. These data indicate that the capsular polysaccharide plays a minor role in anaphylactic reactions to C. neoformans and that the sensitizing antigen is probably located in the cell wall of the yeast.