title: Defective antifungal activity of monocyte-derived macrophages from human immunodeficiency virus-infected children against Aspergillus fumigatus.
abstract: Invasive aspergillosis recently has been encountered in adults and children with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection even without known risk factors, such as neutropenia or corticosteroid therapy. Macrophages play a significant role in the host defenses against Aspergillus organisms by ingesting conidia and preventing their germination to hyphae. The antifungal activity of peripheral blood monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) from 19 HIV-infected children was compared with that of 16 normal controls. The phagocytic activity of patients' MDM, measured as percentage of phagocytosis, was significantly decreased compared with normal donors (P = .014). In addition, the inhibitory activity of MDM on germination of intracellular A. fumigatus conidia was significantly impaired in patients compared with normal controls (P = .016). There was no significant difference in the defects between patients with lower or higher CD4 lymphocyte counts. Impairment of antifungal activity of macrophages may contribute to the susceptibility of HIV-infected patients to aspergillosis.
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Section, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Roilides
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Holmes
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Blake
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Pizzo
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Walsh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001232:Aspergillus fumigatus / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007223:Infant; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology*; D010587:Phagocytosis