Intraspecies variation in the efficacy of adjunctive recombinant interferon-γ therapy against cryptococcal meningoencephalitis in mice

Med Mycol. 2018 Apr 1;56(3):382-386. doi: 10.1093/mmy/myx063.

Abstract

The efficacy of recombinant interferon γ (rIFN-γ) for cryptococcal meningoencephalitis has been poorly understood. Compared to Cryptococcus gattii, rIFN-γ significantly improved the survival in experimental meningoencephalitis due to Cryptococcus neoformans. The number of phagocytic macrophages and the levels of inflammatory cytokines production for ex vivo co-incubation with C. neoformans were increased after rIFN-γ stimulation but not C. gattii. Intraspecies differences of phagocytosis by the rIFN-γ-activated macrophages might be associated to the severity of cryptococcal infection.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antifungal Agents / pharmacology
  • Antifungal Agents / therapeutic use
  • Cell Line
  • Colony Count, Microbial
  • Cryptococcus gattii / drug effects
  • Cryptococcus gattii / pathogenicity
  • Cryptococcus neoformans / drug effects
  • Cryptococcus neoformans / pathogenicity
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Female
  • Interferon-gamma / pharmacology
  • Interferon-gamma / therapeutic use*
  • Macrophages / cytology
  • Macrophages / drug effects*
  • Macrophages / metabolism
  • Meningoencephalitis / drug therapy*
  • Meningoencephalitis / microbiology
  • Meningoencephalitis / mortality
  • Meningoencephalitis / pathology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Phagocytosis / drug effects
  • Species Specificity
  • Survival Rate
  • Virulence

Substances

  • Antifungal Agents
  • Interferon-gamma