Contribution of granulocytes and monocytes to resistance against experimental disseminatedCandida albicans infection

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Abstract
The aim of the present study was to investigate the contribution of granulocytes and monocytes to resistance against an acute systemic candidal infection in mice. To this end granulocytopenia and monocytopenia were induced by irradiation or treatment with cyclophosphamide, and monocytopenia was obtained by treatment with VP-16. After intravenous injection of 1×104 Candida albicans into mice irradiated with 8 GY, the number ofCandida albicans cultured from the kidneys, expressed as the geometric mean of the number of CFU/g tissue, was 5.4×104, 7.1×106 and 5.8×107 on days 1, 3 and 5 of infection respectively (pCandida albicans cultured from the liver and spleen was also significantly higher for irradiated animals than for normal mice (p4 CFU/g on day 1, 1.9×106 on day 3 and 3.8×106 on day 5 of infection) and spleen was significantly higher (p at least 3 Candida albicans. Monocytopenia induced by VP-16 did not result in an increase in the number ofCandida albicans cultured from the kidney or spleen after infection. From these studies it is concluded that granulocytes and not monocytes or exudate macrophages play an important role in resistance againstCandida albicans during the first five days of a systemic infection.