Systemic cell-mediated immune reactivity in women with recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis.
It has been suggested that impaired cell-mediated immunity (CMI) against Candida antigens is responsible for susceptibility to recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (RVVC) in adult women. To address this, we conducted a comprehensive longitudinal study examining in vivo and in vitro systemic CMI reactivity in RVVC patients. Results showed that RVVC patients frequently demonstrated a transient loss of Candida-specific delayed cutaneous skin test reactivity during episodes of symptomatic vaginitis. In contrast, in vitro peripheral blood lymphoproliferation and Th1-type lymphokine production by RVVC patients in response to a T cell mitogen and multiple Candida and bacterial antigens were similar to controls both during acute episodes of vaginitis and during periods of infection-free remission. These results suggest that women with RVVC have no detectable impairment of systemic CMI in peripheral blood and that transient reductions in skin test reactivity appear to be a result of vaginal Candida infection and not a predisposing factor to RVVC.
Fidel
P L
PL
Division of Infectious Diseases, Wayne State University, School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan.
Lynch
M E
ME
Redondo-Lopez
V
V
Sobel
J D
JD
Robinson
R
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008875:Middle Aged; D012882:Skin Tests; D014848:Vulvovaginitis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology
D008222:Lymphokines