Increased severity of Candida vaginitis in BALB/c nu/nu mice versus the parent strain is not abrogated by adoptive transfer of T cell enriched lymphocytes

The role of the host immune system in combating candidal infections in the vagina is poorly understood. A murine model of Candida vaginitis was used t o elucidate the role of T cells in a candidal infection. Athymic BALB/c nu/ nu mice or normal BALB/c mice were induced into estrus and then infected wi th 1 x 10(6) Candida albicans intravaginally. The infection was monitored o ver 1 week. Samples from blood, small intestine, tongue, kidney, spleen, li ver, uterus and vagina were tested for recoverable C. albicans. Histology o f the vagina was assessed for both inflammation and extent of infection. Re sults indicated that the BALB/c nu/nu mice had similar levels of vaginal ye ast load to the normal BALB/c mice. In 25-30% of nude mice Candida was also recovered from extra vaginal sites (kidney, liver, small intestine), howev er, extra vaginal dissemination was not observed in any normal BALB/c anima ls. Histologically, both the nu/nu and control BALB/c had similar levels of vaginal inflammation; however, the nu/nu mice had more florid fungal growt h in the vaginal epithelium. Adoptive transfer of either immune or non-immu ne BALB/c T cells into nude mice had no affect on either infection or vagin al inflammation. Immunohistochemical staining of vaginal tissues from norma l BALB/c mice or nude mice adoptively transferred with either immune or non -immune T cells with anti-CDS monoclonal antibody revealed no significant d ifference between groups in the numbers of CD3 + vaginal T cells. However, in mice receiving either immune or non-immune T cells no yeast was recovere d from any tissues except the vagina. These data show that T cells have a l imited role in protecting the vagina from C. albicans infection. (C) 1999 E lsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.