Semina: Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde (Jun 2011)
Interactions Between Candida albicans and Host <br> Interações entre Candida albicans e Hospedeiro
Abstract
Candida albicans can cause grave infections in patients who are immunocompromised by diseases, by surgery, or by immunesupresive therapy. The high levels of morbidity and mortality resulting from those infections in hospitalized patients show that C. albicans became a prominent human pathogen. Although the host immune system is the major factor balancing the transition from commensalisms to pathogenicity, several virulence attributes expressed by C. albicans, such as adhesion factors, phenotypic switching, dimorphic behavior, and secretion of hydrolytic enzymes, might contribute to the persistence of colonization as well as the development of symptomatic episodes. Host defense against candidiasis relies mainly on the ingestion and elimination of C. albicans by phagocytic cells, which present receptors Toll-like 4, dectin–1 associated to receptors Toll-like2 and mannose receptors. The cytokine IL-10 (IL-10) produced by phagocytes has a crucial role on susceptibility of host fungal infection, whereas IL-10 produced by regulatory T cells is mainly responsible by commensalisms. In contrast, productions of tumour necrosis factor - α (TNF-α), interleukin–1 β (lL-1 β), (IL-6) and (Il-12) provided protective cell–mediated immunity. The interferon-γ produced by natural killer and TH1 cells stimulates migration of phagocytes and major efficacy on destruction of fungi. In epithelial cells from mucosas the NOD-like receptors and defensins-β cytoplasmatic prevent the translocation of C. albicans from microbiota to tissues, which are modulated by IL-1 β, Il-17 and Il-22 cytokines. to pathogenicity, several virulence attributes expressed by C. albicans, such as adhesion factors, phenotypic switching, dimorphic behavior, and secretion of hydrolytic enzymes, might contribute to the persistence of colonization as well as the development of symptomatic episodes. Host defense against candidiasis relies mainly on the ingestion and elimination of C. albicans by phagocytic cells, which present receptors Toll-like 4, dectin–1 associated to receptors Toll-like2 and mannose receptors. The cytokine IL-10 (IL-10) produced by phagocytes has a crucial role on susceptibility of host fungal infection, whereas IL-10 produced by regulatory T cells is mainly responsible by commensalisms. In contrast, productions of tumour necrosis factor - α (TNF-α), interleukin–1 β (lL-1 β), (IL-6) and (Il-12) provided protective cell–mediated immunity. The interferon-γ produced by natural killer and TH1 cells stimulates migration of phagocytes and major efficacy on destruction of fungi. In epithelial cells from mucosas the NOD-like receptors and defensins-β cytoplasmatic prevent the translocation of C. albicans from microbiota to tissues, which are modulated by IL-1 β, Il-17 and Il-22 cytokines.
