title: Synergy of human neutrophils with fluconazole in killing Candida species.
abstract: The killing of Candida species by human neutrophils in a long-term 24-h assay and possible synergy with fluconazole (FCZ) for killing was investigated. The test medium (TM) consisted of RPMI-1640, penicillin and streptomycin (P/S), and 10% fresh autologous serum. TM alone was highly fungistatic for Candida species compared to TM without serum. When neutrophils were cocultured in TM with Candida species for 24 h the inoculum colony-forming units (CFU) were always significantly reduced (killing) by 58 to 99%. FCZ was tested over a range of 1-500 micrograms/ml, and though almost always fungistatic itself, it synergized with neutrophils for significantly increased killing of C. albicans (isolate Sh27) (P < 0.01) and C. albicans (isolate 94-20) (P < 0.05). Killing of non-albicans Candida species was so efficient in the absence of FCZ that demonstration of synergy with FCZ was difficult.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, CA, USA.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Brummer
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Stevens
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001769:Blood; D002175:Candida / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology*; D015725:Fluconazole / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D015725:Fluconazole