title: Imaging Candida Infections in the Host.
abstract: Disseminated fungal infections caused by Candida species are associated with homing of the pathogen to specific organs in human and murine hosts. Kidneys are a primary target organ of Candida albicans, and invasion into the kidney medulla can lead to loss of renal function and death. Therefore, development of noninvasive methods to assess kidney infections could aid in the management of disseminated candidemia. We describe a magnetic resonance imaging method utilizing iron oxide-based contrast agents to noninvasively assess recruitment of phagocytes and kidney inflammation. C. albicans also colonizes the brain and can cause meningoencephalitis. We describe additional imaging methods to assess loss of the blood-brain barrier function that initiates brain infections.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pathology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Dhammika H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Navarathna
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pathology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA. droberts@helix.nih.gov.
authors.forename: David D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Jeeva
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Munasinghe
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Martin J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Lizak
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000378:metabolism; D002176:Candida albicans; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D051379:Mice
keywords: Blood–brain barrier; Brain; Candida albicans; Inflammation; Kidney; Magnetic resonance imaging; Noninvasive imaging; Phagocytes