Candida albicans is a commensal fungus of the skin and mucous membranes in humans, but it is also responsible for mucocutaneous and systemic infections in immunocompromised patients like low birth weight neonates and premature newborns. The epicutaneous application of C. albicans is widely used to study the immune response against this pathogen in adult mice models. However, the immune response of newborns against infections caused by the genus Candida is poorly understood. In order to mimic premature human infection, we developed a model of C. albicans epicutaneous infection in newborn mice. We found that yeasts were able to colonize while the pseudohyphae invaded the epidermis. Recruitment of polymorphonuclear and mononuclear cells at the infection zone was observed. Fungal invasion, fungal burden and cellular infiltration displayed a time- and dose-dependent response. Interestingly, newborn mice were able to control C. albicans primary infection. Finally, we showed that the epicutaneous infection of C. albicans in newborn mice at birth results in the induction of cell-mediated immunity as evinced by delayed-type hypersensitivity assays.

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对新生 0 日龄小鼠皮肤感染模型中细胞介导的白色念珠菌免疫诱导的评价

白色念珠菌是人类皮肤和粘膜的共生真菌，但它也是免疫功能低下患者（如低出生体重新生儿和早产儿）的皮肤粘膜和全身感染的原因。白色念珠菌的表皮应用广泛用于研究成年小鼠模型中针对这种病原体的免疫反应。然而，新生儿对念珠菌属引起的感染的免疫反应知之甚少。为了模拟人类过早感染，我们开发了一种新生小鼠的白色念珠菌表皮感染模型。我们发现酵母菌能够在假菌丝侵入表皮时定植。在感染区观察到多形核细胞和单核细胞的募集。真菌入侵，真菌负荷和细胞浸润表现出时间和剂量依赖性反应。有趣的是，新生小鼠能够控制白色念珠菌的原发感染。最后，我们发现新生小鼠在出生时皮肤表皮感染白色念珠菌会诱导细胞介导的免疫，如延迟型超敏反应所证实的那样。