Hernandez-Santos, Nydiaris
(2012)
INTERLEUKIN-17-MEDIATED ADAPTIVE IMMUNITY TO CANDIDA ALBICANS IN OROPHARYNGEAL CANDIDIASIS.
Doctoral Dissertation, University of Pittsburgh.
(Unpublished)
Abstract
Oropharyngeal candidiasis is an opportunistic infection of the oral cavity caused by Candida albicans, a fungal member of the human commensal flora that causes disease only under conditions of immunosuppression. In HIV+ individuals, the onset of disease is directly correlated to a decrease in CD4+ T cell counts (<200 cells/mm3), suggesting that CD4+ T cells are important mediators of anti-Candida immunity. Previous studies demonstrated that IL-17 receptor A (IL-17RA) signaling is absolutely required for immunity to OPC. IL-17 is produced by a CD4+ T helper cell subset, Th17, and by a variety of innate immune cell types. Although it has always been assumed that CD4+ T cells are
the primary mediators of immunity to C. albicans, the relative contribution of Th17 cells in the context of other, innate, sources of IL-17 had never been studied until
now. We demonstrate that protective, antigen-specific Th17 cells develop upon secondary infection with C. albicans and contribute to fungal clearance from the tongue. Surprisingly, in the absence of CD4+ T cells, compensatory sources of IL-17, such as CD8+ T cells and CD3+CD4-CD8-, protect susceptible hosts from OPC. Our findings have important implications for designing vaccines targeted
to immune compromised populations where it is necessary to harness residual immunity.
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Details
| Item Type: |
University of Pittsburgh ETD
|
| Status: |
Unpublished |
| Creators/Authors: |
| Creators | Email | Pitt Username | ORCID  |
|---|
| Hernandez-Santos, Nydiaris | nyh1@pitt.edu | NYH1 | |
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| ETD Committee: |
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| Date: |
18 December 2012 |
| Date Type: |
Publication |
| Defense Date: |
10 December 2012 |
| Approval Date: |
18 December 2012 |
| Submission Date: |
12 December 2012 |
| Access Restriction: |
No restriction; Release the ETD for access worldwide immediately. |
| Number of Pages: |
133 |
| Institution: |
University of Pittsburgh |
| Schools and Programs: |
School of Medicine > Immunology |
| Degree: |
PhD - Doctor of Philosophy |
| Thesis Type: |
Doctoral Dissertation |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: |
AIDS, HIV, thrush, white patches, fungal immunology |
| Date Deposited: |
18 Dec 2012 13:13 |
| Last Modified: |
15 Nov 2016 14:08 |
| URI: |
http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/16955 |
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