Comparative Evaluation of Species-Specific T-Cell Immune Response in Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells.

Non-albicans (NAC) species are increasingly recognized as significant contributors to candidemia infections; however, relatively less is known about the immune responses induced by these species. In this study, we compared the cytokine production ability of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) upon stimulation with different species ( spp.). We measured secreted cytokines using ELISA and checked the functional profiles of T-cell responses using multicolor flow cytometry. Although there was a differential expression of cytokines against spp., significant difference were observed in the levels of IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-10, IL-12p40, and IL-23 ( < 0.05) between spp. A significant difference was observed between and ( = 0.026) in the levels of TNF-α. showed significant differences compared to , , and in the levels of IL-10 ( values of 0.02, 0.04, and 0.01, respectively). Despite the percentages of CD4 and CD8 expressing Th1, Th2, and Th17 cytokines being higher in stimulated PBMCs, none of the spp. showed significant differences. The levels of secreted IL-17A and IL-23 were consistently lower in spp. regardless of the stimulus used. Here, we showed the differential regulation of Th1, Th2, and Th17 during spp. stimulation of the immune system ex vivo. Additionally, our findings suggest that elicits an IFN-γ response, whereas promotes IL-10 cellular responses, but this warrants additional studies to conclude this association. This investigation holds the potential to advance our comprehension of the distinct immune responses induced by spp., with probable implications in designing antifungal immunotherapeutics.