Immunosuppression by avirulent, pseudohyphal forms of Cryptococcus neoformans.
Our previous reports have shown that animals inoculated for 8 weeks with 1 X 10(5) pseudohyphal, avirulent C. neoformans exhibited prolonged survival upon challenge with virulent cryptococci. This paper described a transient phase of immunosuppression which occurs during the initial weeks of the immunization protocol. Animals injected with pseudohyphal organisms had depressed responses to T and B-cell mitogens. In addition, they had lowered responses to immunization with sheep erythrocytes. Both humoral and cell mediated responses were affected.
D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D003454:Cryptococcus / Q000276:immunology*; D003455:Cryptococcus neoformans / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007114:Immunization; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D013997:Time Factors