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Chinese Journal of Mycology 2019, Vol. 14  Issue (4): 193-199.

Original articles     Next Articles

Comparison of immune responses of yeast form and hyphae form Candida albicans to infection of vaginal epithelial cells

WANG Yu-ting1, WANG Yu-zhu2, LIU Jin-yan3, MENG Ling-ning1, LI Wei-hua2, XIANG Ming-jie1,3   

  1. 1. Department of Clinical Laboratory, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China;
    2. State Key Labs of Family Planning Devices, National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China, Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research, Shanghai 200032, China;
    3. Radioimmunology and Clinical Laboratory, Luwan Branch, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200020, China
  • Received:2019-01-22 Online:2019-08-28 Published:2019-08-28

Abstract:

Objective Candida albicans has morphological plasticity and can switch morphology among yeast form and hyphal form. In this study, the two different forms of Candida albicans stimulate the vaginal epithelial cells in order to compare the differences in immune response caused by them. Methods Vaginal epithelial cell lines VK2/E6E7 were treated as model. Different concentrations of activated Candida albicans and heat-inactivated Candida albicans SC5314 (MOI=10,50,100) were given to in vitro stimulate vaginal epithelial cell lines. Real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method were used to determine the expression of proinflammatory factor TNF-α and chemokines IL-8 under different infection stage(3 h,6 h,12 h). Results Activated Candida alibcans showed hyphal form in K-SFM medium while the heat-inactivated one showed yeast form. Two infection groups showed difference in expression of IL-8 and TNF-α compared to the uninfected group significantly. Under various MOI conditions, the mRNA level of[JP+3]cytokines released by hyphal form infection group was significantly higher than that of yeast form. In especial, at the concentration of MOI=10, the protein level of cytokines released by hyphal form was higher than that of the yeast form. However, the condition turned to reversion with the increase of MOI. Conclusion Both yeast and hyphal form of Candida albicans can induce significant immune responses in vaginal epithelial cells. What's more, hyphal form can induce the immune response of vaginal epithelial cells stronger than that of yeast form under MOI=10. The difference in the immune response intensity by the two-form infection group suggested that the mechanisms of the immunity might be different between the two groups.

Key words: Candida albicans, vulvovaginal vandidiasis, hyphae, vaginal epithelium, inflammation

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