Clinical Candida albicans strain downregulates human anti microbial peptide Beta Defensin 1 in vitro and in patients with Recurrent Vulvovaginal Candidiasis.

MIRÓ MS, RODRÍGUEZ E, VIGEZZI C, ICELY PA, VARGAS L, RIERA , CAEIRO JP Y 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

Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) and recurrent VVC (RVVC) aretwo forms of a disease that affects a large number of otherwisehealthy women. Innate immune responses by the epithelium,including antimicrobial peptides (AMP) are critical for protectionagainst Candida albicans (Ca) overgrowth. â-Defensin 1 (BD1) isimportant for control of early mucosal Ca infection. The aim of thisstudy was to evaluate BD1 expression and regulation in patientswith acute (AVVC) and the recurrent form of this mycosis. Inclusioncriteria were: otherwise healthy women of at least 18 yearsof age, diagnosed with at least three microbiologically testedepisodes of VVC within one year (RVVC group) or with a singleepisode (AVVC group). Healthy women were included as Controlgroup. Cervicovaginal lavage (CVL) was obtained from all participantsby instilling 3 ml of sterile saline into the posterior vagina.The cells recovered from CVL were used for RNA extraction orfixed for immunofluorescence (IF) staining against BD1. For InVitro assays a cervical human epithelial cell line (HeLa) wasincubated with: Ca recovered from a RVVC patient (Ca-RVVC),Ca SC5314 collection strain at different fungus/cell ratios (1:1,5:1), heat killed Ca (HKC) and Zymozan (Zym) for 4 hr, and BD1expression (Flow Cytometry) was evaluated. BD1 transcriptsfrom CVL recovered cells were diminished in RVVC patientswhen compared to Controls. Also, BD1 protein expression (IF)was downregulated in this group of patients compared to Controland AVVC groups. HeLa cells incubated with Ca-RVVC showeda diminished expression of the protein (5:1 ratio) (p