Acquired Immunity to Systemic Candidiasis in Immunodeficient Mice

• Published in: The Journal of infectious diseases Vol. 164; no. 5; pp. 936 - 943
• Main Authors: Cantorna, Margherita T., Balish, Edward
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chicago, IL The University of Chicago Press 01.11.1991; University of Chicago Press
• Subjects: Animals; Antibodies; Antibodies, Fungal - blood; Antigens; Biological and medical sciences; Blotting, Western; Brain - microbiology; Candida albicans; Candida albicans - immunology; Candida albicans - isolation & purification; Candidiasis; Candidiasis - immunology; Disease Susceptibility; Gastrointestinal tract; Gels; Germ-Free Life; Human viral diseases; Immunity, Active; Immunity, Cellular; Immunity, Innate; Infectious diseases; Kidney - microbiology; Kidneys; Liver - microbiology; Major Articles; Medical sciences; Mice; Mice, Nude; Microbial colonization; Miscellaneous; Spleen - microbiology; T lymphocytes; Viral diseases; Candida albicans; Candidiasis; Mycosis; Acquired immunity; Rodentia; Cellular immunity; Immune deficiency; Fungi; Infection; Vertebrata; Experimental disease; Mammalia; Mouse; Animal; Fungi Imperfecti; Thallophyta
• ISSN: 0022-1899; 1537-6613
• DOI: 10.1093/infdis/164.5.936

Twenty-seven percent of beige-athymic (bg/bg nu/nu) mice died of systemic candidiasis 7–20 weeks after gastrointestinal tract colonization with Candida albicans. Conversely, beige-euthymic (bg/bg nu/+) mice colonized with C. albicans for a similar time period did not die or develop systemic candidiasis. C. albicans-colonized bg/bg nu/+ mice, but not bglbg nuinu mice, developed C. albicans-specific T cell-dependent antibody- and cell-mediated immune responses, indicating that T cell-dependent responses might explain the acquired resistance of bg/bg nu/+ mice to systemic candidiasis. Colonization with C. albicans enhanced the resistance of T cellcompetent bglbg nui-t- mice, but not bg/bg nu/nu mice, to systemic candidiasis. T cell-mediated immunity activated after mucosal colonization with C. albicans plays an important role in resistance to systemic candidiasis.