The role of eicosanoids in the kidney damage induced by Candida albicans.

A major target organ in generalized candidiasis is the kidney. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of eicosanoids in the kidney infected by proteinase-positive and proteinase-negative Candida albicans. Prostaglandin (PG) E2-like activity was found to be significantly decreased while leukotriene (LT) C4-like activity increased within 10 days in the kidneys of mice infected with C. albicans. These results indicate that arachidonic acid metabolism is shifted to the lipoxygenase pathway and lipid peroxides, produced via this enzyme system may play an important role in the kidney damage induced by C. albicans.