Experimental pulmonary candidiasis in modified rabbits. II. Immunohistochemical evidence of participation of immune complexes in the formation of fungal lesions in C. albicans-sensitized hosts.
Pulmonary lesions induced by an intratracheal inoculation of Candida albicans into rabbits in untreated control, bovine serum albumin (BSA)-sensitized and C. albicans-sensitized groups were examined immunohistochemically to clarify the localization of IgG, IgM and C3. In the control group no inflammatory cells were immunoreactive for IgG and only a few macrophages for IgM and C3, whereas in the BSA- and C. albicans-sensitized groups there were a small number of IgG-positive polymorphonuclear leukocytes and IgM- and C3-positive macrophages in the lesions, the latter group being more prominent. Furthermore, epithelioid granulomatous lesions at the late stage in the C. albicans-sensitized animals showed scattered epithelioid cells containing IgG as well as abundant IgG- and IgM-positive plasma cells. These immunohistochemical results were considered to support the estimation that immune complexes contributed to the modification of fungal lesions in the C. albicans-sensitized hosts, although non-immunological defense mechanisms seemed to be more important in the elimination of the fungus.
D000818:Animals; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex / Q000276:immunology*; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000276:immunology*; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000276:immunology*; D003176:Complement C3 / Q000032:analysis; D006099:Granuloma / Q000276:immunology; D007114:Immunization; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D008172:Lung Diseases, Fungal / Q000276:immunology*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000276:immunology; D010950:Plasma Cells / Q000276:immunology; D011817:Rabbits
D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D003176:Complement C3; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M