Open AccessAugmented inhibition of growth of Candida albicans by neutrophils in the presence of lactoferrin
Author(s) -
Okutomi Takafumi,
Abe Shigeru,
Tansho Shigeru,
Wakabayashi Hiroyuki,
Kawase Kouzou,
Yamaguchi Hideyo
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
fems immunology & medical microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1574-695X
pISSN - 0928-8244
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-695x.1997.tb01034.x
Subject(s) - lactoferrin , candida albicans , corpus albicans , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , transferrin , in vitro , growth inhibition , neutrophile , biochemistry
Abstract The combined inhibitory effects of neutrophils and lactoferrins on the growth of Candida albicans were examined. Murine or human neutrophils partially inhibited growth of C. albicans when cultured with C. albicans in vitro. The growth inhibition was augmented by a combination of neutrophils and more than 30 μg/ml of bovine lactoferrin or 1 μg/ml of human lactoferrin, concentrations less than 1/10–1/200 their inhibiting concentrations when used alone. The inhibition of C. albicans was also enhanced by combination of neutrophils and bovine apolactoferrin or iron‐bound holo‐lactoferrin, but not by transferrin. Combination effects of neutrophils and lactoferrin were also observed in a condition where there was no contact between neutrophils and Candida cells. These results suggest that neutrophils inhibit the growth of C. albicans regardless of whether there is direct contact between them and Candida cells: neutrophil growth inhibition effects were augmented in the presence of a physiological concentration of lactoferrin, perhaps through some action of lactoferrin other than chelation of ferric ion.