Participation of C3 in Intracellular Killing of Candida albicans

Abstract
Using new objective methods for measuring, independently, phagocytosis and killing, it was demonstrated that Candida albicans opsonized by C3-deficient serum was ingested but not killed in vitro by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Killing could be induced by adding purified C3 to the C3-deficient serum. It is concluded that C3 participates directly in the intracellular process leading to phagocytic killing of C. albicans.