Retinal microglia are activated by systemic fungal infection.
OBJECTIVE
We determined whether systemic fungal infection could cause activation of retinal microglia and, therefore, could be potentially harmful for patients with retinal degenerative diseases.


METHODS
Activation of retinal microglia was measured in a model of sublethal invasive candidiasis in C57BL/6J mice by confocal immunofluorescence and flow cytometry analysis, using anti-CD11b, anti-Iba1, anti-MHCII, and anti-CD45 antibodies.


RESULTS
Systemic fungal infection causes activation of retinal microglia, with phenotypic changes in morphology, surface markers expression, and microglial relocation in retinal layers.


CONCLUSIONS
As an excessive or prolonged microglial activation may lead to chronic inflammation with severe pathological side effects, causing or worsening the course of retinal dystrophies, a systemic infection may represent a risk factor to be considered in patients with ocular neurodegenerative diseases, such as diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, or retinitis pigmentosa.
Departamento de Óptica, Farmacología y Anatomía, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain Instituto Teófilo Hernando de I+D del Medicamento, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
Victoria
V
Maneu
Departamento de Fisiología, Genética y Microbiología, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain.
Agustina
A
Noailles
Departamento de Microbiología y Ecología, Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain.
Javier
J
Megías
Departamento de Fisiología, Genética y Microbiología, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain.
Violeta
V
Gómez-Vicente
Departamento de Microbiología y Ecología, Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain.
Núria
N
Carpena
Departamento de Microbiología y Ecología, Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain.
M Luisa
ML
Gil
Departamento de Microbiología y Ecología, Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain.
Daniel
D
Gozalbo
Departamento de Fisiología, Genética y Microbiología, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain Instituto multidisciplinar para el estudio del medio Ramón Margalef, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain.
Nicolás
N
Cuenca
D000818:Animals; D001370:Axonal Transport; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007249:Inflammation / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D017628:Microglia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D012162:Retinal Degeneration / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
candidiasis; infection; microglial activation; retina