AIM To identify whether Aspergillus fumigatus (A. fumigatus) hyphae antigens induced the release of interleukin-8 (IL-8) in anti-fungal innate immunity of cultured human corneal epithelial cells (HCECs) and determine the involvement of intracellular signalling pathways. METHODS HCECs were treated with A. fumigatus hyphae antigens with different concentrations and time. The cytoplasmic calcium...

Aspergillus fumigatus is an opportunistic nosocomial pathogen causing an often fatal pneumonia, invasive aspergillosis (IA), in immunosuppressed patients. Oligonucleotide primers were used to amplify a 401-bp fragment spanning the 26S/intergenic spacer region of the rDNA complex of A. fumigatus by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The primers were highly sensitive and specific: as little as ...

OBJECTIVES Triazole resistance in Aspergillus fumigatus has been increasing. We explored the A. fumigatus azole resistance profiles in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid samples from Danish patients examined for aspergillosis. METHODS A total of 94 BAL samples from 87 patients were evaluated by galactomannan (GM) test and A. fumigatus CYP51A profiling by PCR. RESULTS Aspergillus spp. were i...

TLR9 recognizes unmethylated CpG DNA and induces innate immune responses. TLR9 activation is a multistep process requiring proteolytic cleavage and trafficking to endolysosomal compartments for ligand-induced signaling. However, the rules that govern the dynamic subcellular trafficking for TLR9 after pathogen uptake have not been established. In this study, we demonstrate that uptake of Aspergi...

Phagocytic defenses are critical for effective host defenses against the opportunistic fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus. Previous studies found that following challenge with A. fumigatus, Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) knockout mice survived longer than wild-type mice. However, the mechanism responsible was not defined. Here we demonstrate that A. fumigatus contains unmethylated CpG sequences...

Toll-like receptor (TLR)-based signaling pathways in the host may be modulated by pathogens during the course of infection. We describe a novel immunomodulatory mechanism in which Aspergillus fumigatus conidia induce attenuation of TLR2- and TLR4-mediated interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-1beta proinflammatory responses in human mononuclear cells with suppression of IL-1beta mRNA transcription. Backgro...

BACKGROUND Aspergillus fumigatus is a common airborne fungal pathogen for humans. It frequently causes an invasive aspergillosis (IA) in immunocompromised patients with poor prognosis. Potent antifungal drugs are very expensive and cause serious adverse effects. Their correct application requires an early and specific diagnosis of IA, which is still not properly achievable. This work aims to a ...

Aspergillus fumigatus is the most common filamentous fungal pathogen of immunocompromised hosts, resulting in invasive aspergillosis (IA) and high mortality rates. Innate immunity is known to be the predominant host defense against A. fumigatus; however, innate phagocyte responses to A. fumigatus in an intact host and their contributions to host survival remain unclear. Here, we describe a larv...

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), which is mainly expressed in activated dendritic cells, is known as a regulator of immune responses. However, the role of IDO in immune responses against fungal corneal infection has not been investigated. To evaluate the regulatory mechanisms of IDO in fungal inflammation, we resorted to human corneal epithelial cells (HCECs), known as the first barrier of co...

Galactosaminogalactan and Pel are cationic heteropolysaccharides produced by the opportunistic pathogens Aspergillus fumigatus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, respectively. These exopolysaccharides both contain 1,4-linked N-acetyl-d-galactosamine and play an important role in biofilm formation by these organisms. Proteins containing glycoside hydrolase domains have recently been identified within t...