Abstract
CRYPTOCOCCOSIS is a systemic fungus infection caused by the encapsulated yeast-like fungus, Cryptococcus neoformans. It has been suggested that alterations in cellular host defence mechanisms increase susceptibility to infection with this organism1,2. In vitro studies suggest that human peripheral blood neutrophils and monocytes can ingest and kill cryptococci3,4. There is, however, a wide range of killing in cells from different normal subjects (21–89%), and no apparent defect in cells from patients with cryptococcosis3. This makes it unlikely that peripheral blood neutrophils or monocytes play a decisive role in determining susceptibility to cryptococcosis in individual patients. In other in vitro studies, activated macrophages derived from human peripheral blood monocytes not only failed to kill cryptococci, but provided a preferentially favourable medium for intracellular growth of the fungus5. These studies, as well as the known histopathology of cryptococcal lesions, suggest that many of the organisms, particularly large capsule forms, are extracellular and so not subject to the intracellular killing mechanisms of phagocytes. Anti-cryptococcal antibody, with or without complement, does not kill cryptococci in the absence of leukocytes3. I therefore investigated the possible existence of a non-phagocytic cellular killing mechanism.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Diamond, R. D., and Bennett, J. E., J. infect. Dis., 127, 694 (1973).
Hart, P. D., Russell, jun., E., and Remington, J. S., J. infect. Dis., 120, 169 (1969).
Diamond, R. D., Root, R. K., and Bennett, J. E., J. infect Dis., 125, 367 (1972).
Tacker, J. R., Farhi, F., and Bulmer, G. S., Infect. Immun., 6, 162 (1972).
Diamond, R. D., and Bennett, J. E., Infect. Immun., 7, 231 (1973).
Böyum, A., Scand. J. clin. lab. Invest., suppl., 97, 77 (1968).
Wilson, D. E., Bennett, J. E., and Bailey, J. W., Proc. Soc. exp. Biol. Med., 127, 820 (1968).
Henney, C. S., Fedn. Proc., 32, 997 (1973).
Ferluga, J., Asherson, G. L., and Becker, E. L., Immunology, 23, 577 (1972).
Bindschadler, D. D., and Bennett, J. E., Ann. intern. Med., 69, 45 (1968).
Diamond, R. D., May, J. E., Kane, M. A., Frank, M. M., and Bennett, J. E., Clin. Res., 21, 597 (1973).
Stanworth, D. R., Nature, 188, 156 (1960).
Möller, E., Science, N.Y., 147, 873 (1965).
Holm, G., and Perlmann, P. J., J. exp. Med., 125, 721 (1967).
MacLennan, I. C. M., and Loewi, G., Nature, 219, 1068 (1968).
Moller, G., and Svehag, S., Cell. Immun., 4, 1 (1972).
Van Boxel, J. A., Paul, W. E., Frank, M. M., and Green, I., J. Immun., 110, 1027 (1973).
Greenberg, A. H., Hudson, L., Shen, L., and Roitt, I. M., Nature new Biol., 242, 111 (1973).
Pearsall, N. N., Sundsmo, J. S., and Weiser, R. S., J. Immun., 110, 1444 (1973).
Simon, H. B., and Shengren, J. N., J. exp. Med., 133, 1377 (1971).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
DIAMOND, R. Antibody-dependent Killing of Cryptococcus neoformans by Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells. Nature 247, 148–150 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1038/247148a0
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/247148a0
This article is cited by
-
Antigens and immune responses in Candida albicans infection
Immunology & Cell Biology (1990)
-
Current concepts in Cryptococcosis
European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (1989)
-
Genetic control of the humoral response to cryptococcal capsular polysaccharide in mice
Immunogenetics (1988)
-
An overview of macrophage-fungal interactions
Mycopathologia (1986)
-
Passive immunization in murine mucormycosis
Mycopathologia (1983)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.