Protection against rat vaginal candidiasis by adoptive transfer of vaginal B lymphocytes.
Vulvovaginal candidiasis is a mucosal infection affecting many women, but the immune mechanisms operating against Candida albicans at the mucosal level remain unknown. A rat model was employed to further characterize the contribution of B and T cells to anti-Candida vaginal protection. Particularly, the protective role of vaginal B cells was studied by means of adoptive transfer of vaginal CD3(-) CD5(+) IgM(+) cells from Candida-immunized rats to naïve animals. This passive transfer of B cells resulted into a number of vaginal C. albicans CFU approximately 50% lower than their controls. Sorted CD3(-) CD5(+) IgM(+) vaginal B lymphocytes from Candida-infected rats proliferated in response to stimulation with an immunodominant mannoprotein (MP) antigen of the fungus. Importantly, anti-MP antibodies and antibody-secreting B cells were detected in the supernatant and cell cultures, respectively, of vaginal B lymphocytes from infected rats incubated in vitro with vaginal T cells and stimulated with MP. No such specific antibodies were found when using vaginal B cells from uninfected rats. Furthermore, inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-6 and IL-10, were found in the supernatant of vaginal B cells from infected rats. These data are evidence of a partial anti-Candida protective role of CD3(-) CD5(+) IgM(+) vaginal B lymphocytes in our experimental model.
De Bernardis
Flavia
F
Department of Infectious Parasitic and Immune-Mediated Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy. flavia.debernardis@iss.it
Santoni
Giorgio
G
Boccanera
Maria
M
Lucciarini
Roberta
R
Arancia
Silvia
S
Sandini
Silvia
S
Amantini
Consuelo
C
Cassone
Antonio
A
D019264:Adoptive Transfer; D000818:Animals; D000908:Antibodies, Fungal / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000946:Antigens, Fungal / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000032:analysis; D018956:CD5 Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000276:immunology*; D002181:Candidiasis, Vulvovaginal / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000276:immunology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014621:Vagina / Q000382:microbiology
D000908:Antibodies, Fungal; D000946:Antigens, Fungal; D017252:CD3 Complex; D018956:CD5 Antigens; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; C025363:mannoproteins