Interaction of Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii with the host immune system
Year: 2010
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii are the etiological agents of cryptococcal\nmeningitis, a fatal disease if left untreated. C. neoformans is considered an opportunistic\npathogen and causes disease in immunocompromised patients, while C. gattii is a primary\npathogen that infects healthy individuals. The mechanisms underlying host preference are not\nyet understood. Infection with C. neoformans and C. gattii depends on host susceptibility, the\nvirulence of the strain and host-pathogen interactions. The complex interaction of the host\nwith the pathogen eventually decides if the inflammatory response will be more Th1 or Th2\nbalanced, which will directly influence clinical outcome. Differences between these two\nspecies are highlighted in this review, focusing on the differences in complement activation,\nneutrophil migration, intracellular parasitism and the response to anti-fungal treatment.
Author: D. Klein Douwel
Language: English
Subfield: Infectious Diseases
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2107435296