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Do Pentraxins Bind to Fungi in Invasive Human Gastrointestinal Candidiasis?

Umamaheshwari Golconda1, Richard E Sobonya2, Stephen A Klotz3

  • 1Department of Pathology, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA. umagolgonda@email.arizona.edu.

Journal of Fungi (Basel, Switzerland)
|September 20, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Serum amyloid P component (SAP) binds to Candida fungi in invasive gastrointestinal candidiasis, unlike CRP and PTX3. This binding may influence the host

Area of Science:

  • Medical Mycology
  • Immunology
  • Pathology

Background:

  • Invasive gastrointestinal candidiasis is a serious opportunistic infection.
  • Pentraxins are a family of pattern recognition molecules involved in innate immunity.
  • Previous studies suggest pentraxins bind to microbial surfaces.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the binding of C-reactive protein (CRP), pentraxin 3 (PTX3), and serum amyloid P component (SAP) to Candida fungal surfaces in invasive gastrointestinal candidiasis.
  • To determine if these pentraxins play a role in the host immune response during invasive fungal infections.

Main Methods:

  • Tissue samples from 13 autopsy cases of invasive gastrointestinal candidiasis were analyzed.
  • Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and Gomori methenamine silver (GMS) stains were used to confirm invasive candidal infection.
  • Immunohistochemistry with monoclonal antibodies for CRP and PTX3, and a polyclonal antibody for SAP was performed to detect pentraxin binding to fungal elements.

Main Results:

  • CRP and PTX3 did not bind to fungal surfaces in any of the 13 cases studied.
  • Extensive CRP deposition was observed on human tissue, but not on fungi.
  • SAP was found bound to fungal surfaces (both filamentous and yeast forms) in 12 out of 13 cases.

Conclusions:

  • Serum amyloid P component (SAP) is the primary pentraxin that binds to Candida fungi in the context of invasive gastrointestinal candidiasis.
  • The specific binding of SAP to fungi, unlike CRP and PTX3, suggests a potentially significant role in the host's innate immune response to invasive Candida infections.
Keywords:
C-reactive proteinCandidaamyloidfungiimmunohistochemistrypentraxin 3pentraxinsserum amyloid P component

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