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Host defence against disseminated Candida albicans infection and implications for antifungal immunotherapy.

Vonk AG, Netea MG, van der Meer JW, Kullberg BJ

Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Department of Medicine 463, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

The different manifestations of Candida albicans infection are dictated by an underlying defect in the immune response of the host. Protective immunity to disseminated candidiasis, the manifestation of C. albicans infection discussed in this review, has traditionally been ascribed to innate immunity with emphasis on the role of granulocytes. Lately, however, immunological studies have learned that host defence against disseminated candidiasis is based on a complex interplay between innate and cell-mediated immunity. Despite the availability of new antifungal agents, mortality associated with disseminated C. albicans infection remains high. Immunotherapy that augments host defence is an important strategic option in the battle against disseminated candidiasis. Here, the authors review the chronological events in the pathogenesis of disseminated candidiasis that aid in predicting the impact of existing immunotherapy and the development of future immunomodulating strategies.

Published 21 August 2006 in Expert Opin Biol Ther, 6(9): 891-903.
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