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Leukocyte candidacidal activity and resistance to systemic candidiasis in patients with cancer
Author(s) -
Lehrer Robert I.,
Cline Martin J.
Publication year - 1971
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(197105)27:5<1211::aid-cncr2820270528>3.0.co;2-3
Subject(s) - candida albicans , medicine , immunology , cancer , myeloperoxidase , leukopenia , leukemia , corpus albicans , lysozyme , systemic candidiasis , disease , pathogen , microbiology and biotechnology , chemotherapy , inflammation , biology , genetics
The ability of leukocytes from subjects with various neoplasms to ingest and kill the opportunistic pathogen Candida albicans was tested. Although their ability to ingest C. albicans was unimpaired, neutrophils from patients with advanced Hodgkin's disease and acute leukemia and from patients receiving chemotherapy for metastatic cancer frequently manifested impaired candidacidal activity. In some instances, functionally deficient neutrophils were found to have low levels of myeloperoxidase and lysozyme activity, possibly reflecting a generalized decrease in the lysosomal enzyme content of these cells. Previous studies have suggested that neutrophils play a prominent role in normal resistance to systemic C. albicans infection. Leukopenia, impaired leukocyte mobilization, and intrinsically deficient neutrophil candidacidal activity may combine to place certain cancer patients at high risk of developing systemic candidiasis.