Candida albicans induces INF-b expression in female genital tract epithelial cells.

RODRIGUEZ E, VIGEZZI E, MIRÓ MS, GATTI G, ICELY PA, MACCIONI M, SOTOMAYOR CE

Mar del Plata

Congreso; LIX Reunión anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Investigación Clínica y LXIV reunión científica anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Inmunología (SAI); 2016

Type I interferons (IFNs-I) constitute a family of pleiotropic cytokinesbest known for their ability to induce an antiviral state and bycoordinating the immune cells involved in antiviral or antibacterialimmunity. IFNs-I are produced after virus or bacteria recognitionby TLRs and recent studies demonstrate that fungal recognitionthrough CTL receptors also induce activation of the IFNs-I in professionalAPC. Candida albicans (Ca) is the most common causeof vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) that affects approximately 75%of women worldwide. We aimed to study whether Ca recognitioninduces IFNs-I in epithelial cells of female genital tract in order toestablish a possible role during VVC. For this purpose, human cervicalepithelial cell line (HeLa) were stimulated with: Ca SC5314 strain(infective) (fungus: cell ratio 0.25:1, 0.5:1,1:1, 5:1), Ca treated withAmphotericin B (Ca-AMB) (non-infective) (5:1), Ca DNA complexedwith polyethylenimine (Ca DNA-PEI), Zymosan and Poly I:C for 24h.IFNb, IRF3, IRF7 and Mx1 mRNA levels were measured by qPCRand cytokine profile (IL1b, IL6, TNFa and TGFb) by ELISA. PolyI:C was able to induce a strong IFNb mRNA expression in HeLacells (p<0.01). Unexpectedly, viable but non-infective Ca-AMB wasable to induced a high IFNb mRNA expression on epithelial cells(p<0.05). Interestingly, Ca DNA-PEI delivered into the cytoplasmof HeLa cells also induced higher IFNb mRNA levels comparedwith untreated cells (p<0.05). Poli I:C and Ca-AMB induced strongexpression of Mx1 mRNA (p<0,001). Moreover, infective Ca Sc5314strain, Ca DNA-PEI and Poly I:C induced high IL6 levels (p<0,001).While TNFa and TGFb amounts were variable among differentstimuli, IL1b remained undetectable. These results provide noveland important evidence about the ability of both, C. albicans cell wallcomponents and fungal DNA to trigger IFNb production in epithelialcells, and expands the spectrum of immune mediators involved inthe local response during VVC.