Mechanisms for induction of immunossuppression during experimental cryptococcosis. Role of glucuronoxylomannan.

CHIAPELLO L., IRIBARREN P, CERVI L., RUBINSTEIN H AND MASIH

ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE

Año: 2001 vol. 100 p. 96 - 96

p class="abstract">In previous work we have demonstrated that spleen mononuclear (Spm) cells from rats obtained 14 days after infection with Cryptococcus neoformans showed a diminution in proliferative response to Concanavalin A (Con A). In this study we further investigate some characteristics of the Spm cell population involved in the immunosuppressor phenomenon induced by C. neoformans. We observed that unstimulated Spm cells expressing T-cell receptor (TCR+) from infected rats were reduced in number after 96 h of culture. When the Spm cells from infected rats were stimulated with Con A, increased production of IL-10, reduced levels of IL-2, and decreased CD11a surface expression were shown. These immunosuppressor phenomena were also observed when the capsular polysaccharide, glucuronoxylomannan (GXM), was added to cultures of Spm cells from normal rats. However, GXM had a more pronounced effect in reducing the number of cells surviving in culture than that observed during infectio