Abstract
Cryptococcus neoformans-infected animals were found to be immunosuppressed when tested by a variety of assays for immune competence. Primary humoral immune responses and delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions to sheep erythrocytes were suppressed in animals which had been infected for two weeks. Lymphocyte proliferation (LP) assays to sRBC stroma were also significantly diminished at two weeks of infection. Spleen cells of infected mice suppressed the LP response of sRBC immunized, normal mice in vitro. At least a part of the suppression could be attributed to a nylon wool non-adherent cell. Suppressor cells continued to be present in spleen cell suspensions following treatment with anti-T cell serum or anti-immunoglobulin and complement. When infected spleen cells were separated by adherence to plastic, both the adherent and non-adherent fractions exhibited suppressive activity. Incubation of infected spleen cells in tissue culture for 48 hr resulted in the elaboration of soluble immunosuppreessive factors into the tissue culture medium. These data indicated that immune suppression in cryptococcosis can occur as a result of infection with Cryptococcus neoformans, and that at least one mechanism involved is the induction of adherent and non-adherent suppressor cells in the spleens of infected mice.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adler, W. H., Takiguchi, T., Marsh, B. & Smith, R. T., 1970. Cellular recognition by mouse lymphocytes in vitro. I. Definition of a new technique and results of stimulation by phytohemagglutinin and specific antigens. J. Exptl. Med. 131: 1049–1078.
Artz, R. P. & Bullock, W. E., 1979. Immunoregulatory responses in experimental disseminated histoplasmosis: Depression of T-cell dependent and T-effector responses by activation of splenic suppressor cells. Infect. Immun. 23: 893–902.
Bindschadler, E. E. & Bennett, J. I., 1968. Serology of human cryptococcosis. Ann. Intern. Med. 69: 45–52.
Broder, S. & Waldmann, R. A., 1978. The suppressor cell network in cancer. N. Engl. J. Med. 299: 1281–1284.
Campbell, D. H., Garvey, J. S., Cremer, N. E. & Sussdorf, D. H., 1970. In: Methods in Immunology, 2nd ed., W. A. Benjamin, Inc., New York, pp. 63–68.
Deepe, G. S., Jr., Watson, S. R. & Bullock, W. E., 1982. Generation of disparate immunoregulatory factors in two inbred strains with disseminated histoplasmosis. J. Immunol. 129: 2186–2191.
Diamond, R. A. & Bennett, J. E., 1973. Disseminated cryptococcosis in man; decreased lymphocyte transformation in response to Cryptococcus neoformans. J. Infect. Dis. 127: 694–697.
Fromtling, R. A., Blackstock, R., Hall, N. K. & Bulmer, G. S., 1979. Kinetics of lymphocyte transformation in mice immunized with viable, avirulent forms of Cryptococcus neoformans. Infect. Immun. 24: 449–453.
Goodman, J. S., Kaufman, L. & Koenig, M. G., 1971. Diagnosis of cryptococcal meningitis. Value of immunologic detection of cryptococcal antigen. N. Engl. J. Med. 285: 434–436.
Graybill, J. R. & Alford, R. H., 1974. Cell mediated immunity in cryptococcosis. Cell. Immunol. 14: 12–21.
Graybill, J. R. & Taylor, R. L., 1978. Host defense in cryptococcosis. I. An in vivo model for evaluating immune response. Int. Arch. Allergy and Appl. Immunol. 57: 101–113.
Julius, M. H., Simpson, E. & Herzenberg, G. S., 1973. A rapid method for the isolation of functional thymus-derived lymphocytes. Eur. J. Immunol. 3: 645–649.
Mosier, D. E., 1967. A requirement for two cell types for antibody formation in vitro. Science 158: 1573–1775.
Murphy, J. W. & Cozad, G. C., 1972. Immunological unresponsiveness induced by cryptococcal capsular polysaccharide assayed by the hemolytic plaque assay. Infect. Immun. 5: 896–901.
Murphy, J. W. & Moorhead, J. W., 1982. Regulation of cell-mediated immunity in cryptococcosis. I. Induction of specific afferent T-suppressor cells by cryptococcal antigen. J. Immunol. 128: 276–283.
Nickerson, D. A., Havens, R. S. & Bullock, W. E., 1981. Immunoregulation in disseminated histoplasmosis: Characterization of splenic suppressor cell populations. Cell. Immunol. 60: 287–297.
Pross, H. F. & Edingen, D., 1970. Antigenic competition: A review of nonspecific antigen-induced suppression. In: Advances in Immunology, (Dixon, E. J. & Kunkel, H. G., eds.). Academic Press, New York, Vol. 18, pp. 133–168.
Robinson, B. E., Hall, N. K., Bulmer, G. S. & Blackstock, R., 1982. Suppression of responses to cryptococcal antigen in murine cryptococcosis. Mycopathologia 80: 157–163.
Rogers, R. J. & Balish, E., 1978. Suppression of lymphocyte blastogenesis by Candida albicans. Clin. Immunol. Immunopathol. 10: 298–305.
Schimpff, S. C. & Bennett, J. E., 1975. Abnormalities in cell mediated immunity in patients with Cryptococcus neoformans infection. J. Allergy and Clin. Immunol. 55: 430–441.
Spickard, A., Butler, W. T., Andriole, V. & Utz, J. P., 1963. Improved prognosis of cryptococcal meningitis with amphotericin B therapy. Ann. Intern. Med. 58: 66–83.
Yamaguchi, K. & Hishimoto, S., 1978. Distinction between suppressors of delayed-type hypersensitivity and the humoral response to sheep erythrocytes. Immunology 35: 721–731.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Blackstock, R., Hall, N.K. Non-specific immunosuppression by Cryptococcus neoformans infection. Mycopathologia 86, 35–43 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00437227
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00437227