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Published on: February 18, 2015
Adherence of Candida albicans to tissues from mice with genetic immunodeficiencies
D L Brawner1, F O Smith, M Mori
1Program in Infectious Diseases, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98104-2092.
Insights
Immunocompromised mice showed reduced Candida albicans binding to spleen tissue, unlike lymph node or kidney tissues. Serum immunoglobulin levels correlated with yeast adherence in spleen, suggesting varied organ-specific immune responses.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Microbiology
- Pathology
Background:
- Candida albicans adherence to host tissues is a critical step in infection.
- Understanding immune cell and serum factor roles in fungal adherence is vital for developing antifungal strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare Candida albicans adherence to immunocompetent versus immunocompromised mouse tissues.
- To investigate the influence of serum immunoglobulin and macrophages on fungal adherence.
Main Methods:
- Ex vivo adherence assays using spleen, lymph node, and kidney tissues from various immunodeficient and immunocompetent mouse strains.
- Measurement of serum immunoglobulin levels.
- Macrophage-specific immunostaining.
Main Results:
- Immunodeficiencies significantly decreased Candida albicans binding to spleen tissue, but not lymph node or kidney.
- Spleen tissue from nonleaky severe combined immunodeficient (scid) mice exhibited significantly lower yeast cell binding.
- Yeast adherence to spleen tissue correlated positively with serum immunoglobulin titers.
Conclusions:
- Factors governing Candida albicans adherence differ among reticuloendothelial organs.
- Serum immunoglobulin levels play a role in splenic adherence of Candida albicans.
- Immune status significantly impacts fungal adherence in a tissue-specific manner.
Abstract:
Ex vivo adherence comparisons were made between immunocompetent and immunocompromised mouse tissues, and the roles of serum immunoglobulin and macrophages in the adherence of Candida albicans were investigated. Spleen, lymph node, and kidney tissues were harvested from congenitally immunodeficient mice, including AKR/scid, C.B-17, C3Hscid, and N:NIH nu/bg/xid mice, and their normal counterparts into which the defects were bred (AKR/J, C3H/HeSnJ, and BALB/c-ByJ). Tissues were compared for the ability to bind C. albicans 219 in an ex vivo assay. In general, immunodeficiencies significantly decreased binding of C. albicans to spleen but not to lymph node or kidney tissue compared with immunocompetent mice. In C3Hscid and AKRscid mice, spleen tissues from "nonleaky" mice bound significantly fewer yeast cells (P = 0.0005 and 0.0009, respectively) than did those from C3H/HeSnJ or AKR/J mice. Numbers of adherent yeast cells were similar in "leaky" AKRscid and AKR/J mice. Yeast adherence to spleen tissue from N:NIH nu/bg/xid mice correlated with mouse age (P = 0.01). Measurements of total serum immunoglobulin indicated that the scid defect was most complete in C3Hscid mice and that yeast adherence in spleen tissue correlated with immunoglobulin titers. Results of adherence assays and macrophage-specific immunostains suggested that factors determining adherence differ among reticuloendothelial organs.
