title: Disruption of the intestinal mucosal barrier in Candida albicans infections.
abstract: Candida albicans is a common microorganism in the intestine. However, invasive C. albicans infection has emerged as a life-threatening disease in recent years. The mortality rate of invasive candidiasis is high in critically ill hosts. C. albicans can switch from the yeast to the hyphal morphology, and take advantage of the impaired intestinal mucosal barrier and insufficient immunity of the host to facilitate its colonization and penetration. Despite the availability of potent new antifungal drugs in recent years, the treatment of severe candidiasis, especially candidaemia, has not been substantially improved. In this review, the virulence factors of C. albicans, as well as the antagonistic role of the intestinal mucosal barrier will be discussed to illuminate the mechanisms of C. albicans enterogenic infections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Trauma-Emergency & Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai Fifth People's Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200240, China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Chunhui
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Jianguo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005656:Fungal Proteins; D037521:Virulence Factors