LACK OF EFFECT OF CANDIDA-ALBICANS MANNAN ON DEVELOPMENT OF PROTECTIVE IMMUNE-RESPONSES IN EXPERIMENTAL MURINE CANDIDIASIS

Candida albicans mannoprotein (MAN) administered to mice before or dur ing immunization with viable C. albicans downregulates MAN-specific de layed hypersensitivity. In the experiments reported here we determined the effect of MAN downregulation on protective immunity in minimally immunized mice, i.e., mice exposed to C. albicans either intradermally or intragastrically, and in maximally immunized mice, i.e., mice immu nized by a combination of intradermal and intragastric exposure, in ex perimental systemic candidiasis. MAN suppression did not induce statis tically significant alterations in the protective responses in experim ental candidiasis, although 8 of 12 groups of mice treated with MAN ha d fewer CFU of C. albicans in their kidneys than their non-MAN-treated counterparts. The results emphasize the lack of correlation of delaye d hypersensitivity with protection in candidiasis and suggest that MAN may contain epitopes involved in the protective response.