TITLE:
Stimulation of the Protective Response to Actinomycetoma by Nocardia brasiliensis in Mice Treated with Candida albicans Antigens
AUTHORS:
Alejandro Palma-Ramos, Violeta Karen Espinosa-Antunez, Laura Estela Castrillón-Rivera, Oralia Nájera-Medina, María Elisa Vega-Memije, Roberto Arenas-Guzmán, María Elisa Drago-Serrano, Teresita Sainz-Espuñes
KEYWORDS:
Actinomycetoma, Nocardiabrasilensis, Candidaalbicans
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Microbiology,
Vol.4 No.6,
May
12,
2014
ABSTRACT: Actinomycetoma
is a chronic subcutaneous lesion caused by the pathogenic bacterium Nocardia (N.) brasiliensis. Yeast
antigens of Candida (C.) albicans increase the interferon (IFN)-γ and TCD4+ cells levels that enhance the phagocytic killing of N. brasiliensis,
able to survive inside phagocytes and to grow in clustered colonies that form
grains. The aim of this work was to test the effect of a crude protein extract
of C. albicans on the levels of IFN-γ producing TCD4+ cells and on the outcome of actinomycetoma lesion. Five BALB/c
mice with N. brasiliensis infection at left hind footpad were treated four times
every other day with C. albicans crude
protein extract (CPE). Five uninfected mice treated with CPE or infected mice
treated with sterile phosphate-saline buffer were included as positive and
negative control groups, respectively. Footpad thickness was recorded in all
groups. Once the treatments were finished, single cell suspensions from blood
and spleen were prepared for assessing the amount (%) of IFN-γ producing TCD4+ cells by
cytofluorometry; presence of TCD4+ and IFN-γ in footpad sections was detected by immunofluorescence and
immunohistochemistry, respectively. By comparison with the negative control
group, infected mice treated with CPE had lower footpad thickness, higher
percentage of blood and spleen IFN-γ producing TCD4+ cells as well as in situ presence
of IFN-γ and TCD4+ cells. These
findings showed that CPE from C. albicans displayed an immunoadjuvant
activity that enhanced the presence of IFN-γ producing TCD4+ cells and IFN-γ for
the resolution of N. brasiliensis actinomycetoma in mice.