Candida-Specific Systemic Cell-Mediated Immune Reactivities in Human Immunodeficiency Virus—Positive Persons with Mucosal Candidiasis

• Published in: The Journal of infectious diseases Vol. 183; no. 2; pp. 277 - 285
• Main Authors: Leigh, Janet E., Barousse, Melissa, Swoboda, Rolf K., Myers, Tammy, Hager, Shannon, Wolf, Norbert A., Cutright, Jessica L., Thompson, James, Sobel, Jack D., Fidel, Paul L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chicago, IL The University of Chicago Press 15-01-2001; University of Chicago Press
• Subjects: AIDS; AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections - immunology; AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections - microbiology; Antibacterial agents; Antibiotics. Antiinfectious agents. Antiparasitic agents; Antigens; Biological and medical sciences; Candida; Candida - immunology; Candidiasis; Candidiasis, Oral - immunology; Candidiasis, Oral - microbiology; Candidiasis, Vulvovaginal - immunology; Candidiasis, Vulvovaginal - microbiology; CD4 antigen; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; Cells, Cultured; Cytokines; Cytokines - biosynthesis; Female; Highly active antiretroviral therapy; HIV; human immunodeficiency virus; Human viral diseases; Humans; Hypersensitivity, Immediate - immunology; Immunity, Cellular; Infections; Infectious diseases; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - immunology; Lymphocyte Activation; Major Articles; Male; Medical sciences; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Reactivity; Skin Tests; Species Specificity; T lymphocytes; Th1 Cells - immunology; Th1 Cells - metabolism; Th2 Cells - immunology; Th2 Cells - metabolism; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the lymphoid tissue and the blood. Aids; Candidiasis; Yeast; Mycosis; Mucosa; Th1 lymphocyte; Helper cell; Cellular immunity; Fungi; Specificity; T-Lymphocyte; Fungi Imperfecti; Thallophyta; Skin test; Human; Immunopathology; Opportunistic infection; Retroviridae; AIDS; Lentivirus; Immune deficiency; Infection; Virus; Blood cell; Sensitivity; Candida; Viral disease; Skin; Human immunodeficiency virus
• ISSN: 0022-1899; 1537-6613
• DOI: 10.1086/317944

Oropharyngeal candidiasis (OPC), as opposed to vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC), is a common opportunistic infection in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)—positive persons that correlates with reduced CD4 T cell counts. Although cell-mediated immunity (CMI) by CD4 Th1-type cells is considered to be the predominant host defense against mucosal candidiasis, the immune factors associated with susceptibility to OPC in HIV-positive persons are not well understood. This study investigated Candida-specific systemic CMI in HIV-positive persons with OPC and/or VVC. Reductions in delayed skin test reactivity to Candida antigen were observed in HIV-positive persons with CD4 cell counts <200 cells/µL, irrespective of the presence of mucosal infection. Likewise, despite the correlate of OPC with reduced CD4 cell counts in HIV-positive persons, differences in Candida-specific peripheral blood mononuclear cell proliferation and Th1/Th2 cytokine production between HIV-positive and HIV-negative persons were not consistent in a manner to suggest that deficiencies in Candida-specific systemic CMI account solely for the susceptibility to OPC.