Growth inhibition of Candida by human oral epithelial cells

Oropharyngeal candidiasis (OPC) caused by Candida albicans is a significant problem in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected persons. Recognizin g the paucity of information on innate and/or adaptive mucosal host defense s against C, albicans, we recently reported that human and nonhuman primate and mouse vaginal epithelial cells inhibit the growth of C. albicans in vi tro. In the present study, oral epithelial cells collected from saliva of h ealthy volunteers and a purified oral epithelial cell line were found to in hibit blastoconidia and/or hyphal growth of several Candida species. Cell c ontact was a strict requirement for the epithelial cell anti-Candida activi ty; neither saliva nor culture supernatants alone inhibited Candida growth, and addition of saliva to the coculture did not modulate the epithelial ce ll activity. Finally, epithelial cell anti-Candida activity was significant ly lower in HIV-infected persons with OPC, Together, these results suggest that oral epithelial cells may play a role in innate resistance against OPC .