Affiliation:
1. Department of Medicine, Los Angeles Biomedical Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance
2. David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Candida
spp. are opportunistic fungal pathogens that are among the most common causes of nosocomial bloodstream infections. The mortality attributable to disseminated candidiasis is 40 to 50% despite antifungal therapy. Clearly, new strategies are needed to prevent this life-threatening infection. Because risk factors for disseminated candidiasis are well defined and frequently of limited duration, vaccination is an appealing prophylactic strategy. We have identified a cell surface protein, Als1p, that mediates adherence of
Candida albicans
to a variety of human substrates and plastic. Here we report that immunizing BALB/c mice with the recombinant N-terminal domain of Als1p (rAls1p-N) improved survival during a subsequent challenge with a lethal inoculum of
C. albicans
. The protective 20-μg dose of rAls1p-N significantly increased
Candida
stimulation of Th1 splenocytes and increased in vivo delayed-type hypersensitivity. In contrast, antibody titers did not correlate with protection. Finally, the vaccine was not protective in T-cell-deficient mice but was protective in B-cell-deficient mice. These data indicate that the mechanism of action of the rAls1p-N vaccine is stimulation of cell-mediated, rather than humoral, immunity against
C. albicans
. The majority of efforts to date have focused on the development of passive immunization strategies to prevent or treat disseminated candidiasis. In contrast, our results provide proof of principle for vaccination with an adhesin of
C. albicans
and emphasize the potential for cell-mediated immune modulation as a prophylactic or therapeutic strategy against disseminated candidiasis.
Publisher
American Society for Microbiology
Subject
Infectious Diseases,Immunology,Microbiology,Parasitology
Cited by
72 articles.
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