Candida albicans activates the type I interferon pathway in cells of the female genital tract

RODRIGUEZ EMILSE; VIGEZZI C; MIRÓ MS; ICELY PA; SOTOMAYOR CE

Mar del Plata

Congreso; LXVI Reunión annual de la Sociedad Argentina de Inmunologia y LXI Sociedad Argentina de Investigación Clínica; 2019

SAI , SAIC

Candida albicans(Ca) is an opportunistic fungal pathogen that typically exists as a harmless commensal in the female genital tract; however, approximately 75% of women who are of reproductive-age suffer from vulvovaginal candidiasis(VVC) at least once in their lifetime. Recent studies revealed that,besides viruses and bacteria, fungal pathogens can also induce type I interferons (IFNs-I) production by innate immune cells. Theaim was to study whether Ca recognition induces IFNs-I in epithelial cells of female genital tract in order to establish a possible role during VVC. For this purpose, human cervical epithelial cell line(HeLa) were stimulated with different morphotypes of Ca SC5314 strain:Invasive Ca (hypha emission) and Non-invasive Ca (pseudomicelio) at different fungus:cell ratio (0.25:1, 5:1);Ca DNA complexed with polyethylenimine (Ca-DNA), LPS and Poly I:C during 4 and 24h.IFNb, IRF3, IRF7 and Mx1 mRNA levels were measured by qPCR.Poly I:C (24h) and LPS (4h) were able to induce a strong IFNb mRNA expression in HeLa cells(p