Growth inhibition of Candida albicans by human polymorphonuclear neutrophils: activation by interferon-gamma and tumor necrosis factor.

This study was designed to determine whether anti-fungal activity in human polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) might be under the regulation of cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma). By using a radiolabel microassay developed in our laboratory that makes use of the incorporation of [3H]glucose into residual candida, we demonstrated that PMN were better able to inhibit Candida albicans growth in vitro than peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL). PMN from normal volunteers added to C. albicans for 24 hr at 37 degrees C in a 96-well microplate inhibited fungal growth almost completely at the 300:1 effector/target ratio and frequently at 100:1. Significant activity was still detected at 10:1. In contrast, PBL from the same donors had less activity than PMN at all the ratios tested and lost all function at the 30:1 ratio. TNF and IFN-gamma added to the PMN/candida cultures additionally enhanced PMN to inhibit candida growth. Both cytokines effectively activated PMN down to 0.1 to 0.01 U/ml, and neither cytokine interfered directly with fungal growth, even up to 1000 U/ml. Concentrations of TNF and IFN-gamma below the level that enhanced PMN function when added together to PMN acted synergistically to significantly enhance their anti-fungal activity. Therefore, TNF and IFN-gamma which are active on lymphoid cells, also appear to have the ability to directly activate PMN, and the synergistic action of the two cytokines at low doses that may be below the toxic range may prove to be of clinical importance in protection of immunocompromised host against opportunistic infections.