Acquired Immunity to Pathogenic Fungi in Gnotobiotic Animals.

摘要

During primary T. mentagrophytes infection of Strain 2 guinea pigs, the colony forming units (CFU) of fungi in the lesion peaked between days 7 and 14, while the lesion severity peaked between days 11 and 16. Concomitant with the latter peak, a pronounced depression in the in vitro mitogenic activity of spleen (SPC) and lymph node cells (LNC) was observed. Only after resolution of the primary infection (day 21) did LNC show increased DNA synthesis in the presence of fungal antigens. During cutaneous reinfection, there was no distinct peak fungal load and CFU appeared to decrease steadily during the accelerated course of a reinfection disease. Lymph node cells from guinea pigs with severe, ulcerated reinfection lesions generally exhibited a heightened response to fungal antigen in vitro. These results support the hypothesis that experimental T. mentagrophytes dermatophytosis is a cell-mediated hypersensitivity disease that can be modified by immunosuppressive control mechanisms elaborated, or induced by, the fungus.