T cells from patients with Candida sepsis display a suppressive immunophenotype. Issue 1 (December 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Spec, Andrej; Shindo, Yuichiro; Burnham, Carey-Ann; Wilson, Strother; Ablordeppey, Enyo; Beiter, Evan; Chang, Katherine; Drewry, Anne; Hotchkiss, Richard
• Is Part Of: Critical care. Volume 20:Issue 1(2016)
• Page Start: 1
• Page End: 9
• Publication Date: 2016-12
• Subjects: Bloodstream infection -- Candida -- Immunology -- Sepsis -- Shock -- Fungal infection; Critical care medicine -- Periodicals; 616.02805
• DOI: 10.1186/s13054-016-1182-z
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1364-8535

Abstract

Abstract Background Despite appropriate therapy, Candida bloodstream infections are associated with a mortality rate of approximately 40 %. In animal models, impaired immunity due to T cell exhaustion has been implicated in fungal sepsis mortality. The purpose of this study was to determine potential mechanisms of fungal-induced immunosuppression via immunophenotyping of circulating T lymphocytes from patients with microbiologically documentedCandida bloodstream infections. Methods Patients with blood cultures positive for anyCandida species were studied. Non-septic critically ill patients with no evidence of bacterial or fungal infection were controls. T cells were analyzed via flow cytometry for cellular activation and for expression of positive and negative co-stimulatory molecules. Both the percentages of cells expressing particular immunophenotypic markers as well as the geometric mean fluorescence intensity (GMFI), a measure of expression of the number of receptors or ligands per cell, were quantitated. Results Twenty-seven patients withCandida bloodstream infections and 16 control patients were studied. Compared to control patients, CD8 T cells from patients withCandidemia had evidence of cellular activation as indicated by increased CD69 expression while CD4 T cells had decreased expression of the major positive co-stimulatory molecule CD28. CD4 and CD8 T cells from patients withCandidemia expressed markers typical of T cell exhaustion as indicated by either increased percentages of or increased MFI for programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) or its ligand (PD-L1). Conclusions Circulating immune effector cells from patients withCandidemia display an immunophenotype consistent with immunosuppression as evidenced by T cell exhaustion and concomitant downregulation of positive co-stimulatory molecules. These findings may help explain why patients with fungal sepsis have a high mortality despite appropriate antifungal therapy. Development of immunoadjuvants that reverse T cell exhaustion and boost host immunity may offer one way to improve outcome in this highly lethal disorder.