Adherence of Candida albicans to tissues from mice with genetic immunodeficiencies

Abstract

Ex vivo adherence comparisons were made between immunocompetent and immunocompromised mouse tissues, and the roles of serum immunoglobulin and macrophages in the adherence of Candida albicans were investigated. Spleen, lymph node, and kidney tissues were harvested from congenitally immunodeficient mice, including AKR/scid, C.B-17, C3Hscid, and N:NIH nu/bg/xid mice, and their normal counterparts into which the defects were bred (AKR/J, C3H/HeSnJ, and BALB/c-ByJ). Tissues were compared for the ability to bind C. albicans 219 in an ex vivo assay. In general, immunodeficiencies significantly decreased binding of C. albicans to spleen but not to lymph node or kidney tissue compared with immunocompetent mice. In C3Hscid and AKRscid mice, spleen tissues from "nonleaky" mice bound significantly fewer yeast cells (P = 0.0005 and 0.0009, respectively) than did those from C3H/HeSnJ or AKR/J mice. Numbers of adherent yeast cells were similar in "leaky" AKRscid and AKR/J mice. Yeast adherence to spleen tissue from N:NIH nu/bg/xid mice correlated with mouse age (P = 0.01). Measurements of total serum immunoglobulin indicated that the scid defect was most complete in C3Hscid mice and that yeast adherence in spleen tissue correlated with immunoglobulin titers. Results of adherence assays and macrophage-specific immunostains suggested that factors determining adherence differ among reticuloendothelial organs.