The Dynamic Role of Pulmonary Neutrophils in the Fungal Clearance and Immunopathology During Systemic Candidiasis in vivo
Abstract
Neutrophils are key players in the host immune response against systemic infection with C. albicans, which is the fourth most common bloodstream infection in North America. Using intravital microscopy, we investigated the role of marginated pulmonary neutrophils in the host defense against disseminated C. albicans. We found that this unique population of neutrophils rapidly clears the fungus that sequesters to the pulmonary vasculature in a C5a-dependent fashion. This uptake of C. albicans by the neutrophils then leads to the formation of dense, motile clusters in the vasculature via LTB4 amplification. The formation and persistence of the neutrophil vascular clusters are independent of beta-2 integrins, platelets, and NETs. Although complement-mediated uptake of the fungus is required for the host survival, subsequent neutrophil cluster formation contributes to disease pathology. Therefore, we see that the rapid neutrophilic response in the lung against disseminated candidiasis is a dynamic, double-edged process.
Description
Keywords
Health Sciences, Immunology
Citation
Lee, E. K. (2017). The Dynamic Role of Pulmonary Neutrophils in the Fungal Clearance and Immunopathology During Systemic Candidiasis in vivo (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/28068