A Aspergilose Broncopulmonar alérgica (ABPA) é uma doença complexa,desencadeada por uma reação de hipersensibilidade ao Aspergillus fumigatus, que apresenta vários estágios, sendo que no estágio mais grave, os pacientes apresentam bronquiectasias. O diagnóstico da doença é difícil e o maior problema é a falta de antígenos padronizados necessários para a determinação de anticorpos específicos. O objetivo do presente estudo é avaliar se os testes cutâneos com os análogos de Asp f 1 podem auxiliar no diagnóstico e no estadiamento da ABPA. Três grupos de pacientes classificados por testes sorológicos foram obtidos a saber 20 ABPA (16BQ+; 4BQ-), 25 possíveis -ABPA (14BQ+;11BQ-) e 24 asmáticos sem ABPA (11BQ+;13BQ-). Fizeram parte do estudo 10 pessoas sem asma . Todos foram submetidos a testes intradérmicos com três antígenos a-sarcina, mitogilina e estrictocina.Houve uma intensa reação a todos os antígenos e as reações produzidas foram semelhantes para os três antígenos. As reações de leitura tardia positivas à mitogilina foram biopsiadas. As biopsias de 2 (12,5%) dos pacientes BQ+ do grupo ABPA e 5 do grupo ABPA possível com BQ+ (35,6%) mostraram vasculite por depósito de imunocomplexos. 11 pacientes do terceiro grupo não apresentaram vasculite. O quarto grupo não apresentou reação tardia. Todos os pacientes com reação positiva apresentaram BQ+. alfa-sarcina, a mitogilina e a restrictocina diferenciaram pacientes com ABPA por testes intradérmicos e podem ser aplicados no diagnóstico da doença. A maior incidência de bronquiectasias foi encontrada no primeiro grupo (80%) e no segundo (56%). No terceiro grupo nenhum caso foi encontrado em 23 pacientes com asma e teste ID positivo ao aspergillus fumigatus todos os pacientes com vasculite tinham bronquiectasia. Há possibilidade de que as lesões produzidas nos pulmões sejam produzidas por vasculite. / Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis (ABPA) is a complex disease, triggered by a hypersensitivity reaction to Aspergillus fumigatus. The disease diagnosis is difficult, and a major problem is the lack of standardized allergens for the determination of specific antibodies. The aim of the present study is to evaluate if intradermal (ID) tests with analogs of Asp f 1 can aid in the diagnosis and stage assessment of abpa. Three groups of patients classified by serological tests were obtained. 20 ABPA (16BQ+; 4BQ-), 25 possible-ABPA (14BQ+; 11BQ-), 24 asthmatic-ABPAfree (11BQ+; 13BQ-) and 10 asthma-free people were submitted to id tests with three antigens: mitogillin, a-sarcin and restrictocin. There was intense reaction to all three antigens and the response was similar. The positive reactions to mitogillin were biopsied. The skin biopsies of two (12,5%) bq+ patients of the first group and 5 BQ+ (35,6%) patients of the second one showed vasculitis by immune complexes (IC) deposition. 11 patients of the third group had negative biopsies. The fourth group didn\'t have late-reaction. All patients with positive reaction were BQ+. By ID test, alfa-sarcin, mitogillin and restrictocin could differentiate patients with abpa and can be applicable in disease diagnosis. The higher incidence of bronchiectasis was found in the first (80%) and second (56%) groups. In the third group, IC wasn\'t found in 23 asthma patients and id test was positive to A. fumigatus. All patients with vasculitis by IC had bronchiectasis. Therefore, the results indicate that this kind of pulmonary lesion is caused by vasculitis.

A Aspergilose Broncopulmonar alérgica (ABPA) é uma doença complexa,desencadeada por uma reação de hipersensibilidade ao Aspergillus fumigatus, que apresenta vários estágios, sendo que no estágio mais grave, os pacientes apresentam bronquiectasias. O diagnóstico da doença é difícil e o maior problema é a falta de antígenos padronizados necessários para a determinação de anticorpos específicos. O objetivo do presente estudo é avaliar se os testes cutâneos com os análogos de Asp f 1 podem auxiliar no diagnóstico e no estadiamento da ABPA. Três grupos de pacientes classificados por testes sorológicos foram obtidos a saber 20 ABPA (16BQ+; 4BQ-), 25 possíveis -ABPA (14BQ+;11BQ-) e 24 asmáticos sem ABPA (11BQ+;13BQ-). Fizeram parte do estudo 10 pessoas sem asma . Todos foram submetidos a testes intradérmicos com três antígenos a-sarcina, mitogilina e estrictocina.Houve uma intensa reação a todos os antígenos e as reações produzidas foram semelhantes para os três antígenos. As reações de leitura tardia positivas à mitogilina foram biopsiadas. As biopsias de 2 (12,5%) dos pacientes BQ+ do grupo ABPA e 5 do grupo ABPA possível com BQ+ (35,6%) mostraram vasculite por depósito de imunocomplexos. 11 pacientes do terceiro grupo não apresentaram vasculite. O quarto grupo não apresentou reação tardia. Todos os pacientes com reação positiva apresentaram BQ+. alfa-sarcina, a mitogilina e a restrictocina diferenciaram pacientes com ABPA por testes intradérmicos e podem ser aplicados no diagnóstico da doença. A maior incidência de bronquiectasias foi encontrada no primeiro grupo (80%) e no segundo (56%). No terceiro grupo nenhum caso foi encontrado em 23 pacientes com asma e teste ID positivo ao aspergillus fumigatus todos os pacientes com vasculite tinham bronquiectasia. Há possibilidade de que as lesões produzidas nos pulmões sejam produzidas por vasculite. / Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis (ABPA) is a complex disease, triggered by a hypersensitivity reaction to Aspergillus fumigatus. The disease diagnosis is difficult, and a major problem is the lack of standardized allergens for the determination of specific antibodies. The aim of the present study is to evaluate if intradermal (ID) tests with analogs of Asp f 1 can aid in the diagnosis and stage assessment of abpa. Three groups of patients classified by serological tests were obtained. 20 ABPA (16BQ+; 4BQ-), 25 possible-ABPA (14BQ+; 11BQ-), 24 asthmatic-ABPAfree (11BQ+; 13BQ-) and 10 asthma-free people were submitted to id tests with three antigens: mitogillin, a-sarcin and restrictocin. There was intense reaction to all three antigens and the response was similar. The positive reactions to mitogillin were biopsied. The skin biopsies of two (12,5%) bq+ patients of the first group and 5 BQ+ (35,6%) patients of the second one showed vasculitis by immune complexes (IC) deposition. 11 patients of the third group had negative biopsies. The fourth group didn\'t have late-reaction. All patients with positive reaction were BQ+. By ID test, alfa-sarcin, mitogillin and restrictocin could differentiate patients with abpa and can be applicable in disease diagnosis. The higher incidence of bronchiectasis was found in the first (80%) and second (56%) groups. In the third group, IC wasn\'t found in 23 asthma patients and id test was positive to A. fumigatus. All patients with vasculitis by IC had bronchiectasis. Therefore, the results indicate that this kind of pulmonary lesion is caused by vasculitis.

Introduction: The pathogenesis and treatment of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA), severe asthma-non fungal sensitised (SANFS) and severe asthma with fungal sensitization (SAFS) is poorly understood. IL-17A, IgE and microbiome may be associated with pathogenesis of asthma, but their role in fungal-associated asthma is uncertain. Further, the efficacy of voriconazole, posaconazole and nebulised amphotericin B (NAB) in ABPA and SAFS has not been fully studied. Aims and objectives: The aim of this PhD thesis was to evaluate the role of IL-17A, IgE and lung microbiome in patients with SANFS, SAFS and ABPA. We also studied the efficacy and safety of NAB, voriconazole and posaconazole. Methods: Airway lymphocytes and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from patients with ABPA (n=16), SAFS (n=15), SANFS (n=11), mild asthma (MA) (n=6) and NH (n=11) were characterized by flow cytometric analysis (FACS) to determine the % of CD (+) IL-17A expressing cells. We also evaluated microbiome population using culture and PCR plus sequencing from BAL of these patients. In chapter 3, we analysed total and specific IgE in blood from adult cohorts of SAFS (n=34) and ABPA (n=48) using ImmunoCAP 100. In chapter 5 we studied the efficacy of voriconazole and posaconazole and in chapter 6; we studied the efficacy of NAB.Results: %CD4+IL-17A expressing cells were significantly higher in patients with severe asthma and correlated positively with serum neutrophil and presence of fungi in the airways. ABPA, SAFS and SANFS were similar but all were significantly higher than MA and NH. There were no differences in IL-17A expression between blood and the lung. Fungi were more frequently associated with severe asthma and low FEV1. Steroid treatment significantly increased airway fungal load. IgE against staphylococcal aureus (SE-IgE) correlated positively with FEV1 and OCS dose. Voriconazole and posaconazole improved asthma severity and radiological abnormalities. NAB was associated bronchospasm, but was extrely effective in the few patients (n=3) that took treatment for >12 months. These responders had unique characteristics. Conclusions: IL-17A, SE-IgE, and lung microbiome are associated with asthma severity. Steroid use in these patients may increase airway fungal load. Whereas voriconazole and posaconazole are efficacious, the use of NAB is associated with significant bronchospasm. SE-IgE -high asthma patients may be a distinct asthma phenotype. Larger studies are needed.