Constitutive β-Defensin 1 is modulated by Candida albicans in Vulvovaginal Candidiasis

MIRÓ, MARÍA SOLEDAD; RODRIGUEZ, EMILSE; ICELY, PAULA; VIGEZZI, CECILIA; SOTOMAYOR, CLAUDIA ELENA

Mar del Plata

Congreso; LIX Reunión Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Investigación Clínica. LXII Reunión Científica Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Inmnología; 2014

Sociedad Argentina de Investigación Clínica y Sociedad Argentina de Inmunología

Constitutive β-Defensin 1 is modulated by Candida albicans in Vulvovaginal Candidiasis Miró, MS; Rodríguez, E; Icely, PA; Vigezzi, C; Sotomayor CE. CIBICI-CONICET. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba β-defensins (BDs) are antimicrobial peptides expressed by epithelial barriers and immune cells that play an important role in the innate host defense. BDs exert antimicrobial and chemoattractant activities. Human BD1 (mouse BD1 orthologous), unlike other BDs which are induced by microbial compounds or inflammatory stimuli, is constitutively expressed with constant levels in normal tissue. Candida albicans (Ca) is a common commensal of mucosal surfaces and the most frequent cause of Vulvovaginal Candidiasis (VVC). The role of BD1 during this pathology is unclear and modulation of BD1 by fungal factors remains to be elucidated. We aimed to study Ca ability to modulate the expression of BD1 In Vivo in a mouse model of VVC and In Vitro using a cervicovaginal human epithelial cell line. Female C57BL/6 mice were used. Estrus phase was induced by estradiol injections. Infected animals (Inf) were intravaginally inoculated with 5.106 Ca ATCC 36801 at day (D) 0. Treated uninfected (Treat) mice were used as controls. At D 2, 4 and 8 post infection (pi), vaginal lavage was obtained to evaluate fungal burden (CFU) and intracellular expression of mBD1 (flow cytometry) in Cytokeratin+ cells (epithelial cells) and Gr1+ (myeloid cells). BD1 was increased in epithelial and Gr-1+ cells in Inf mice at D2 pi (p<0.05) compared with Treat animals. For In Vitro assays Hela cells were incubated with Ca at different fungus/cell ratios (0,5:1; 1:1; 5:1) during 4 and 24 hs. Ca activated cells as was shown by Reactive Oxygen Species production (Quimiol. and NBT assay) without modifying cell viability (LDH release). hBD1 transcripts (qPCR) didn?t exhibit changes after 4 hs of incubation, meanwhile after 24 hs of interaction a significant decrease of hBD1 transcripts was observed at all ratios (p<0.05). These results demonstrate that C. albicans is able to modulate the expression of BD1, which was thought to be constitutively expressed with constant levels, in female genital tract during VVC.