Effects of macrophage colony-stimulating factor on antifungal activity of neonatal monocytes against Candida albicans

The effects of recombinant macrophage-colony stimulating factor (M-CSF) on antifungal activities of monocytes (MNC) from healthy neonates and adults a gainst Candida albicans were compared. Pretreatment of adult and neonatal M NC with 15 ng/ml of M-CSF for 4 days significantly increased superoxide ani on (O-2(-)) production in response to phorbol myristate acetate. While M-CS F-treated MNC from adults produced significantly higher O-2(-) in response to Candida blastoconidia, M-CSF-treated neonatal MNC did not show a similar response. Further, M-CSF significantly enhanced phagocytosis of C. albican s by adult MNC but not by neonatal MNC. While M-CSF enhances antifungal act ivities of adult MNC against C. albicans, it does not appear to affect anti candidal function of neonatal MNC. Copyright (C) 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel.