title: Cytokines in the oral mucosa of mice infected with Candida albicans.
abstract: Oropharyngeal candidiasis is associated with defects in cell-mediated immunity, and is commonly seen in immunocompromised patients. We have previously shown that T-cell-deficient BALB/c nude (nu/nu) mice are extremely susceptible to oropharyngeal candidiasis, and that recovery from a chronic infection is dependent on CD4 T lymphocytes. In this study we describe the local tissue cytokine profile in lymphocyte-reconstituted immunodeficient mice and their euthymic counterparts. Mice were infected orally with 108 cells of the yeast Candida albicans, and oral tissues sampled on days 0, 4, 8, and 14. Nude mice were reconstituted with 3 x 107 naïve lymphocytes following oral inoculation. Interleukin (IL)-6, interferon (IFN)-gamma and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha were identified in the oral tissues of infected euthymic mice recovering from oral infection, as well as naïve controls. TNF-alpha was identified in nude oral tissue on days 4 and 8, but only after lymphocyte reconstitution. No IL-2, IL-4 or IL-10 was detected in either euthymic or athymic mice at any time-point throughout the experiment. This study confirms the functional activity of T lymphocytes in reconstituted nude mice, and suggests that TNF-alpha may be an important mediator in the recovery from oropharyngeal candidiasis.
authors.affiliation: Oral Biology and Pathology, School of Dentistry, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Farah
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gotjamanos
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Seymour
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Ashman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000254:growth & development; D002180:Candidiasis, Oral / Q000276:immunology*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D016207:Cytokines / Q000032:analysis*; D004198:Disease Susceptibility / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005856:Germ-Free Life; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000276:immunology; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000032:analysis; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000032:analysis; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000032:analysis; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000032:analysis; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000032:analysis; D017710:Lymphocyte Transfusion; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000276:immunology*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007376:Interleukin-2; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma