ISSN:
1574-695X
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Biology
,
Medicine
Notes:
Pathogenesis of invasive candidiasis may involve regulatory activities of Th2 immunity on phagocytic host defenses. The effects of interleukin (IL)-4 on antifungal capacity of human mononuclear phagocytes against Candida albicans were studied. Incubation of adherent mononuclear leukocytes from healthy donors with IL-4 (1–5 ng ml−1) at 37°C for 2–4 days suppressed uptake of C. albicans blastoconidia in the presence of human serum (P≤0.01), and anti-IL-4 inhibited its suppressive effect. The effect of IL-4 was protein synthesis-dependent. Interferon-γ (0.25–25 ng ml−1), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (CSF, 20 ng ml−1), macrophage-CSF (15 ng ml−1) but not IL-10 (100 ng ml−1) somewhat counteracted the suppressive effect of IL-4. In contrast, mannose receptor-mediated uptake of blastoconidia in the absence of serum was increased by IL-4. Killing of conidia was decreased after incubation of morphonuclear leukocytes with IL-4 for 2 days (P〈0.05). While superoxide anion production in response to phorbol myristate acetate was decreased by IL-4 (P〈0.05), it was not altered in response to blastoconidia and pseudohyphae. Morphonuclear leukocyte-induced pseudohyphal damage also remained unaltered. These findings suggest that IL-4 plays its detrimental role in invasive candidiasis by predominantly suppressing uptake and killing of blastoconidia by morphonuclear leukocytes. Anti-IL-4, IFN-γ, GM-CSF and M-CSF appear to counteract suppression of morphonuclear leukocyte phagocytic activity suggesting new approaches to the management of disseminated candidiasis.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1574-695X.1997.tb01086.x
Permalink
