Candida albicans is a major life-threatening human fungal pathogen. Host defence against systemic Candida infection relies mainly on phagocytosis of fungal cells by cells of the innate immune system. In this study, we have employed video microscopy, coupled with sophisticated image analysis tools, to assess the contribution of distinct C. albicans cell wall components and yeast-hypha morphogene...

The pathogenicity of the fungus Geotrichum candidum in humans has not been clearly defined. A patient with acute leukemia who developed a fatal disseminated G. candidum infection while neutropenic is described. At autopsy examination, this patient was misdiagnosed on the basis of histopathology as having disseminated candidiasis until G. candidum was isolated from postmortem culture specimens. ...

GR99060 and GR99062 are representatives of a series of 1,2,4-triazino[5,6-b]indole compounds. This series possessed broad-spectrum antifungal activity in vitro. The MIC ranges of the two compounds were as follows: 0.25 to 4 micrograms/ml for Candida albicans, 0.25 to 16 micrograms/ml for Candida sp., 1 to 8 micrograms/ml for Aspergillus spp., and 0.25 to 16 micrograms/ml for Cryptococcus neofor...

The aims of this study were to evaluate free levels of fluconazole (FCZ) in the kidneys of healthy and Candida albicans-infected Wistar rats using microdialysis and to establish the relationship between free renal and total plasma levels under both conditions. Microdialysis recovery rates were determined in vitro by dialysis, and retrodialysis recovery rates were determined in vivo by retrodial...

Several reports have demonstrated that mouse Cx3cr1 signaling promotes monocyte/macrophage survival. In agreement, we previously found that, in a mouse model of systemic candidiasis, genetic deficiency of Cx3cr1 resulted in increased mortality and impaired tissue fungal clearance associated with decreased macrophage survival. We translated this finding by showing that the dysfunctional CX3CR1 v...

L-743,872 (M991), which is a pneumocandin derivative, was evaluated in a mouse model of disseminated candidiasis caused by a fluconazole-resistant isolate of Candida albicans. In immunocompetent mice M991 prolonged survival at doses as low as 0.0125 mg/kg of body weight per day. In neutropenic mice 0.05 mg/kg was the lowest effective dose. M991 is a very potent drug for treatment of disseminate...

Candida empyema is a serious complication of disseminated candidiasis. However, little is known about the intrapleural pharmacokinetics of echinocandins. We report the penetration of anidulafungin into the pleural fluid of a patient with Candida tropicalis empyema. The anidulafungin ratio for the area under the concentration-time curve from 0 h to the last measurement between pleural fluid and ...

BACKGROUND It has been documented that, independently from the specificity of the native antibody (Ab) for a given antigen (Ag), complementarity determining regions (CDR)-related peptides may display differential antimicrobial, antiviral and antitumor activities. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS In this study we demonstrate that a synthetic peptide with sequence identical to V(H)CDR3 of a mouse...

Candida albicans remains the fungus most frequently associated with nosocomial bloodstream infection. In disseminated candidiasis, the role of Foxp3(+) regulatory T (Treg) cells remains largely unexplored. Our aims were to characterize Foxp3(+) Treg-cell activation in a murine intravenous challenge model of disseminated C. albicans infection, and determine the contribution to disease. Flow cyto...

Immunoblotting (Western blotting) was used to detect Candida albicans antigens in urine of 10 patients with disseminated candidiasis who had two or more positive blood cultures. Twelve urine samples were examined; and antigenuria was found in five of six patients with C. albicans infections, in one patient with a mixed Candida infection (including C. albicans), and in one of two patients with C...