Renal pathology and spleen cell chemiluminescence of mice infected with a wild-type and a low-virulence mutant of Candida albicans.

Pathogenicity and virulence factors were studied for a wild-type strain of Candida albicans (MY 1044) and an auxotrophic, temperature-sensitive mutant strain (MY 1049) that was derived by ultraviolet irradiation. The mutant was a temperature-sensitive, serine auxotroph. Renal pathology and chemiluminescence of spleen cells from infected mice were assessed in an attempt to identify virulence factors. Renal damage was evident following intravenous infection with either strain, although the mutant appeared to be less invasive; MY 1044 produced characteristic miliary, subcapsular lesions, while the mutant (MY 1049) produced large granulomas. Spleen cells from each infected group were stimulated in vitro with either phytohemagglutinin, concanavalin A or opsonized yeast cells to measure the respiratory burst using a luminol-dependent chemiluminescence assay. The highest chemiluminescence responses correlated with severe renal damage (uremia) and not with yeast virulence. No differences in chemiluminescence were observed among spleen cells from mice infected with either strain when renal pathology was minimal.