CD8 T cells and E-cadherin in host responses against oropharyngeal candidiasis

• Published in: Oral diseases Vol. 18; no. 2; pp. 153 - 161
• Main Authors: Quimby, K, Lilly, EA, Zacharek, M, McNulty, K, Leigh, JE, Vazquez, JE, Fidel Jr, PL
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-03-2012; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Adult; African Americans; Analysis of Variance; Antifungal Agents - therapeutic use; Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; Cadherins - biosynthesis; Cadherins - physiology; Candida - isolation & purification; Candidiasis; Candidiasis, Oral - complications; Candidiasis, Oral - drug therapy; Candidiasis, Oral - immunology; CD4 antigen; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; CD8 antigen; CD8+ T cells; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes - immunology; Cell adhesion & migration; Cell migration; Cell Movement; Colony Count, Microbial; Colorectal cancer; Data processing; E-Cadherin; Female; HIV; HIV Infections - complications; HIV Infections - drug therapy; Host-Pathogen Interactions - immunology; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Immunophenotyping; Longitudinal Studies; Lymphocytes; Lymphocytes T; Male; Middle Aged; Mouth Mucosa - immunology; Mouth Mucosa - microbiology; Oral infection; oropharyngeal candidiasis; Saliva - immunology; Saliva - microbiology; Statistics, Nonparametric
• ISSN: 1354-523X; 1601-0825
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1601-0825.2011.01856.x

Oral Diseases (2012) 18, 153–161
Background:  Oropharyngeal candidiasis (OPC) is the most common oral infection in HIV+ persons. Previous studies suggest a role for CD8+ T cells against OPC when CD4+ T cells are lost, but enhanced susceptibility to infection occurs when CD8+ T‐cell migration is inhibited by reduced tissue E‐cadherin.
Objective:  To conduct a longitudinal study of tissue CD8+ T‐cells and E‐cadherin expression before, during, and after the episodes of OPC.
Methods:  Oral fungal burden was monitored and tissue was evaluated for CD8+ T cells and E‐cadherin over a 1‐year period in HIV+ persons with a history of, or an acute episode of, OPC.
Results:  While longitudinal analyses precluded formal interpretations, point prevalence analyses of the data set revealed that when patients experiencing OPC were successfully treated, tissue E‐cadherin expression was similar to that in patients who had not experienced OPC, and higher numbers of CD8+ T cells were distributed throughout OPC− tissue under normal expression of E‐cadherin.
Conclusion:  These results suggest that (1) reduction in tissue E‐cadherin expression in patients with OPC+ is not permanent, and (2) high numbers of CD8+ T cells can be distributed throughout OPC− tissue under normal E‐cadherin expression. Together, these results extend our previous studies and continue to support a role for CD8+ T cells in host defense against OPC.