Cassone A, Boccanera M, Adriani D, Santoni G, De Bernardis F
Department of Bacteriology and Medical Mycology, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
Infect Immun. 1995 Jul;63(7):2619-24. doi: 10.1128/iai.63.7.2619-2624.1995.
Oophorectomized, estrogen-treated rats were susceptible to experimental vaginal infection by Candida albicans. After spontaneous clearing of the primary infection, the animals were highly resistant to a second vaginal challenge with the fungus. The vaginal fluid of Candida-resistant rats contained antibodies directed against mannan constituents and secretory aspartyl proteinase(s) of C. albicans and was capable of transferring a degree of anti-Candida protection to naive, nonimmunized rats. This passive protection was mediated by the immunoglobulin fraction of the vaginal fluid and was substantially abolished by preabsorption of the vaginal fluid with C. albicans, but not with Saccharomyces cerevisiae, cells. Vaginal anti-mannan antibodies were also produced by active immunization with heat-killed cells of C. albicans or with a mannan extract when administered via the vaginal route. The protection conferred was comparable to that resulting from clearing of the primary infection. In summary, the data suggest that acquired anticandidal protection in this vaginitis model is mediated at least in part by antibodies, among which those directed against the mannan antigen(s) might play a dominant role.
切除卵巢并用雌激素处理的大鼠易受白色念珠菌引起的实验性阴道感染。在原发性感染自然清除后，这些动物对该真菌的第二次阴道攻击具有高度抵抗力。抗念珠菌大鼠的阴道液中含有针对白色念珠菌甘露聚糖成分和分泌性天冬氨酸蛋白酶的抗体，并且能够将一定程度的抗念珠菌保护作用传递给未免疫的幼稚大鼠。这种被动保护作用是由阴道液中的免疫球蛋白部分介导的，并且通过用白色念珠菌而非酿酒酵母细胞预先吸收阴道液可基本消除这种保护作用。当通过阴道途径给予热灭活的白色念珠菌细胞或甘露聚糖提取物进行主动免疫时，也会产生阴道抗甘露聚糖抗体。所提供的保护作用与原发性感染清除后产生的保护作用相当。总之，数据表明，在这种阴道炎模型中获得的抗念珠菌保护作用至少部分是由抗体介导的，其中针对甘露聚糖抗原的抗体可能起主要作用。
