Modulation of macrophage activity by a cell wall extract of Candida albicans

There has been an increased interest in Candida albicans because of the rise in the frequency of infections caused by this organism. Although C. albicans is part of the normal flora in the gastrointestinal tract in humans, different precipitating factors can induce this fungus to become pathogenic, causing life threatening infections in the immunocompromised host. Therefore efforts have been made by different laboratories to understand the interaction between Candida and the host. Several lines of evidence have suggested that the neutrophil is the first line of defense against C. albicans infections. However the role of the macrophage in Candida infections is more controversial.;The macrophage is a cell with potent immunomodulatory capacity. This cell is the source of many cytokines which are important in regulating the immune system and participates in the inductive phase of an immune response by processing and presenting antigens. Therefore we decided to study how Candida albicans affects macrophage function. An ethylediamine cell wall extract (EDA-CW) of Candida albicans was used in these studies to analyze the effect upon macrophage activity in vitro. In designated experiments INF-;These results indicate that components of the cell wall of C. albicans were capable of altering macrophage function. The studies also showed a role for IFN-...