ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITY OF ELUTRIATED HUMAN MONOCYTES AGAINST ASPERGILLUS-FUMIGATUS HYPHAE - ENHANCEMENT BY GRANULOCYTE-MACROPHAGE COLONY-STIMULATING FACTOR AND INTERFERON-GAMMA

Human monocytes are important effector cells in host defenses against Asgergillus hyphae, and as elutriated monocytes (EHM) they may be tran sfused in large quantities to leukopenic patients with invasive asperg illosis. The antifungal activity of EHM against Aspergillus hyphae was compared with that of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL). The effect s of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and int erferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) on superoxide anion (O-2(-)) release and on hyphal damage caused by EHM against unopsonized A. fumigatus hyphae wa s investigated. EHM had antihyphal activity comparable to that of PMNL . GM-CSF significantly augmented O-2(-) release by EHM in response to PMA. Also, both GM-CSF and IFN-gamma significantly enhanced the antifu ngal activity of EHM compared with untreated controls. Thus, EHM have demonstrable antifungal activity against Aspergillus hyphae that may b e increased by GM-CSF and IFN-gamma, suggesting their potential therap eutic role in immune reconstitution of effector cells.