title: Serum Amyloid P Component and Systemic Fungal Infection: Does It Protect the Host or Is It a Trojan Horse?
abstract: It is a striking observation that tissue of patients invaded by the deep mycoses often lacks evidence of an inflammatory response. This lack of host response is often attributed to neutropenia secondary to chemotherapy. However, systematic studies do not support this simplistic explanation. However, invasive fungal lesions are characterized by abundant fungal functional amyloid, which in turn is bound by serum amyloid P component (SAP). We postulate that SAP is important in the local immune response in invasive fungal infections. The interaction between fungal functional amyloid, SAP, and the immune response in deep mycoses is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases.
authors.forename: Stephen A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Klotz
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology , University of Arizona , Tucson.
authors.forename: Richard E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Sobonya
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology , City University of New York at Brooklyn.
authors.forename: Peter N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Lipke
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology , City University of New York at Brooklyn.
authors.forename: Melissa C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Garcia-Sherman
keywords: amyloid; candidiasis; functional amyloid; fungi; serum amyloid P component