J Med Microbiol Track the topics, authors and articles important to you
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Murciano, C.
Right arrow Articles by Gil, M. L.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Murciano, C.
Right arrow Articles by Gil, M. L.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Murciano, C.
Right arrow Articles by Gil, M. L.
J Med Microbiol 55 (2006), 1649-1656; DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.46740-0
© 2006 Society for General Microbiology
ISSN 1473-5644

Impaired immune response to Candida albicans in aged mice

Celia Murciano1, Eva Villamón1, Alberto Yáñez1, José-Enrique O'Connor2, Daniel Gozalbo1 and M. Luisa Gil1

1 Departamento de Microbiología y Ecología, Universitat de València, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Edificio de Investigación, C/Dr. Moliner 50, 46100 Burjasot, Valencia, Spain

2 Laboratorio de Citómica, Unidad Mixta CIPF-UVEG, Centro de Investigación ‘Principe Felipe’, Valencia, Spain

Correspondence
M. Luisa Gil
m.luisa.gil{at}uv.es

Received 25 May 2006
Accepted 14 August 2006

The prevalence of opportunistic fungal infections has increased dramatically among the aged population in recent years. This work investigated the effect of ageing on murine defences against Candida albicans. Aged C57BL/6 mice that were experimentally infected intravenously had a significantly impaired survival and a higher tissue fungal burden compared with young mice. In vitro production of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-{alpha} by macrophages from aged mice in response to yeast cells and hyphae of C. albicans was significantly lower than production by macrophages from young mice. In vitro production of cytokines, such as TNF-{alpha} and gamma interferon (IFN-{gamma}), by antigen-stimulated splenocytes from mice intravenously infected with C. albicans cells was also diminished in old mice. This decrease in production of T helper 1 cytokines in old mice correlated with a diminished frequency of IFN-{gamma}-producing CD4+ T lymphocytes, although the ability to develop an acquired resistance upon vaccination (primary sublethal infection) of mice with the low-virulence PCA2 strain was not affected in aged mice. The diversity of antigens recognized by C. albicans-specific antibodies in sera from infected aged mice was clearly diminished when compared with that from infected young mice. Taken together, these data show that aged mice develop an altered innate and adaptive immune response to C. albicans and are more susceptible to systemic primary candidiasis.

Abbreviations: IFN-{gamma}, gamma interferon; IL, interleukin; i.v., intravenous(ly); Th1, T helper 1; TLR, Toll-like receptor; TNF, tumour necrosis factor.




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Infect. Immun.Home page
A. Marcil, C. Gadoury, J. Ash, J. Zhang, A. Nantel, and M. Whiteway
Analysis of PRA1 and Its Relationship to Candida albicans- Macrophage Interactions
Infect. Immun., September 1, 2008; 76(9): 4345 - 4358.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
INT J SYST EVOL MICROBIOL J MED MICROBIOL MICROBIOLOGY J GEN VIROL ALL SGM JOURNALS
Copyright © 2006 Society for General Microbiology.