title: Importance of beta2-microglobulin in murine resistance to mucosal and systemic candidiasis.
abstract: beta2-Microglobulin knockout (beta2m-/-) mice, which lack major histocompatibility complex class I expression and are deficient in CD8alpha/beta T-cell receptor alpha/beta (TcRalpha/beta) T cells, were as resistant to systemic (intravenous) challenge with Candida albicans as immunocompetent controls. Conversely, the beta2m-/- mutant mice were susceptible to systemic candidiasis of endogenous origin despite the induction of C. albicans-specific antibody and cell-mediated immune responses after colonization with a pure culture of C. albicans. Despite some superficial and transient infections of tongues and esophagi (detected by histology) at 1 to 2 weeks after oral colonization and gastric infections (cardia-antrum section) which were observed at 10 to 12 weeks after oral challenge, C. albicans-colonized beta2m-/- mice showed an overall resistance to candidiasis in other mucosal and cutaneous tissues. These data suggest that immune defects that accompany the loss of beta2-microglobulin play an important role in murine resistance to gastric and disseminated candidiasis of endogenous (intestinal tract) origin and that innate immunity and CD4 TcRalpha/beta as well as CD8alpha/alpha TcRalpha/beta (or -gamma/delta) T cells play an important role in resistance to systemic, cutaneous, and nongastric mucosal tissues.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison 53706-1532, USA.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Balish
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Vazquez-Torres
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jones-Carson
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Warner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin