Killing of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis conidia by pulmonary macrophages and the effect of cytokines

Abstract

The ability of conidia, the infectious form of the dimorphic fungus Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, to be killed in vitro by murine pulmonary macrophages was studied. Mice were immunized by intravenous injection of killed conidia, which resulted in cellular immunity demonstrated by delayed type hypersensitivity in vivo and macrophage migration inhibition factor production in vitro. Resident pulmonary macrophages from non-immune mice were able to significantly kill the conidia (28%). Such macrophages treated with supernatants (cytokines) from antigen-stimulated immune mononuclears had a markedly enhanced ability to kill conidia (73%). These results show that activated pulmonary macrophages are potent killers of conidia of P. brasiliensis and that immune mononuclears play a role in activation of macrophages. Activated macrophages may be important for pulmonary defense against the initial stages of infection with this fungus.