Cryptococcus neoformans and its cell wall components induce similar cytokine profiles in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells despite differencesin structure

We studied the cytokine profile of peripheral blood mononuclear cells after stimulation with various cryptococcal strains or its purified cell wall co mponents. After 3 h of stimulation, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha level s were strongly increased, whereas interferon (IFN) gamma and interleukin ( IL) 10 levels were increased only slightly, or not at all (respectively). I n contrast, after 18 h, TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma levels were (strongly) decr eased, whereas the IL-10 levels were increased. The IL-1 beta, IL-6 and IL- 8 levels were equally high throughout the experiment. In order to establish which of the cryptococcal envelope components contributed most to the obse rved cytokine profile induced by whole cryptococci, glucuronoxylomannan, ga lactoxylomannan and mannoproteins were purified and partially characterized biochemically. All cryptococcal components elicited a similar cytokine pat tern despite the differences in structure. (C) 1999 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights re served.