Coccidioides immitis Vaccine: Potential ofanAlkali-Soluble, Water-Soluble CellWallAntigen

C-ASWS-M,thealkali-soluble, water-soluble cell wallantigen ofCoccidioides immitis mycelia, was evaluated foritsvaccine potential inmice. Vaccination with 0.5-, 1.5-, or3-mgdosesofC-ASWS-Mincomplete Freundadjuvant provided a significant level ofprotection against intraperitoneal challenge with1,500 arthroconidia (P 0.05). Previous studies byKongetal.(3-5), Levine etal.(6-8), andPappagianis etal.(9,10)have established that prior immunization ofmicewith killed mycelia orspherules ofCoccidioides immitis affords protection against challenge with viable arthroconidia. Spherules werereported to bemoreefficacious thanweremycelia orarthroconidia (3,6,7),andspherule cell walls were moreefficacious thanwereintact spherules (4, 7).Morerecently, Pappagianis etal.(9)reported thata phosphate-buffered saline extract of spherule cell walls protected miceagainst intra