Analysis of Cytokine Production in Pulmonary Cryptococcosis.

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A murine pulmonary infection model utilizing intratracheal inoculation of high or low virulent strain of Cryptococcus neoformans was used to analyse cytokine production in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Lung colony-forming units were increased in the highly virulent strain, while they remained unchanged in the low virulent strain during the 10-day study. Interleukin (IL)-2 and IL-4 were increased in both strains by day 7 after inoculation, and IL-2 in the former strain or IL-4 in the latter strain was declined at day 10. This indicates that Th 1 immune response may play a key role in resistance to the organism.T cell mitogen concanavalin A-stimulated macrophages and lymphocytes obtained from patients with pulmonary cryptococcosis resulted in release of a high level of IL-10, leading C. neoformans proliferation in the lung through IL-10-induced suppression of alveolar macrophage activation. However, since IL-2 and IL-4 were either comparable or undetectable in this assay, we were unable to define the role of Th 1 or Th 2 cells in patients with pulmonary cryptococcosis. Further investigation will be necessary to determine their roles.
日本医真菌学会の論文