HETEROGENEITY OF HUMAN NEUTROPHIL PHAGOLYSOSOMES - FUNCTIONAL CONSEQUENCES FOR CANDIDACIDAL ACTIVITY

  • 1 January 1984
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 64  (1) , 147-151
Abstract
Opsonized yeast phase Candida albicans, incubated with human neutrophils, are internalized into 2 classes of phagosomes. One class, termed unsealed vacuoles, comprises .apprx. 40% of the total and maintains functional communication to the cell''s exterior that is sufficient to permit ingress of dyes, such as trypan or methylene blue. The remaining cell-associated yeasts are contained in sealed vacuoles, completely sequestered from the external milieu. Approximately 71.8% of C. albicans within sealed vacuoles are rendered nonviable within 60 min, whereas only 14.5% of organims within unsealed vacuoles are killed during this time. Vacuolar sealing mechanisms are imperfectly developed in normal human neutrophils and incompletely sealed vacuoles support antimicrobial processes substantially less well than do completely sealed ones.

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