Cell wall of Candida albicans as a factor of pathogenicity

The method of chemiluminiscence monitoring of oxygenous radicals was used for evaluation of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes activated by (1) intact cells of Candida albicans, (2) polysaccharide fraction of C. albicans cell walls. The results indicate that polysaccharide fraction of the cell wall activates the metabolic burst of PMN leukocytes as intact yeast cells and releases oxygenous radicals that play an important role in the origin of inflammatory response. The findings obtained allow to characterize polysaccharide fraction of cell walls as a significant pathogenic feature of C. albicans.