Microbiological and immunological features of oral candidiasis.
Candida albicans(C. albicans) is the major infectious agent of oral candidiasis, and both innate immunity and cell-mediated immune response participate in the control of the fungal infections. The aim of this study was to correlate the clinical forms of oral candidiasis with the number of colony forming units (CFU) of C. albicans in saliva and to characterize T cell response in patients with oral candidiasis. Participants included 75 subjects: 36 with lesions of candidiasis and 39 without lesions of oral candidiasis. A 2-ml sample of saliva was collected from all subjects for microbiological analysis. Cytokine levels were determined by ELISA in supernatants of peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 25 patients with oral candidiasis, after in vitro stimulation with C. albicans antigens. In 48% of patients, no association was observed with denture use. C. albicans was detected in the saliva of 91.7% of patients with oral candidiasis, and there was an association between the number of CFU and the presence of oral lesions. A type Th1 immune response was observed in supernatants of peripheral blood mononuclear cells stimulated with C. albicans antigens. In contrast, IL-5 and IL-10 levels were very low or undetectable. Together, this study shows an association between clinical forms of oral candidiasis and the number of colonies of C. albicans in saliva, and that a systemic immune response characterized by the production of TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma is observed in patients with oral candidiasis.
Oliveira
Marcos André M de
MA
Serviço de Imunologia do Hospital Universitário Prof. Edgard Santos, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Rua João das Botas s/n, 40110-160 Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. imuno@ufba.br
Carvalho
Lucas P
LP
Gomes
Marcele de S
Mde S
Bacellar
Olívia
O
Barros
Tania F
TF
Carvalho
Edgar M
EM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology*; D002180:Candidiasis, Oral / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012463:Saliva / Q000382:microbiology; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000276:immunology
D016207:Cytokines; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D007371:Interferon-gamma