EARLY INFLAMMATORY RESPONSES TO CANDIDA-ALBICANS INFECTION IN INBRED AND COMPLEMENT-DEFICIENT MICE

Inflammatory responses that developed in the footpad during the first 48 h after inoculation of Candida albicans were compared in six geneti cally defined inbred strains of mice. Tissue responses consisted predo minantly of accumulations of polymorphonuclear leucocytes, the magnitu de of which was significantly less in mice lacking the fifth component of complement (C5). Despite this, there was no difference between CS- sufficient and CS-deficient mice in the total infectious burden, nor d id depletion of complement by treatment with cobra venom factor cause any detectable reduction in the numbers of inflammatory cells in the a rea of the lesion. Ablation of granulocytes had no significant effect on the fungal burden over the period of the experiment. Immunisation p rovided some protection against tissue damage, but did not reduce the number of yeasts at the site of infection.