Growth inhibition of Candida albicans by interleukin-2-activated splenocytes.

Murine splenocytes, Percoll-enriched low-density lymphocytes, and interleukin-2 (IL-2)-activated lymphocytes were assessed for the capacity to limit the growth of the hyphal form of Candida albicans. No fungal-growth-inhibitory activity was exhibited for C. albicans by either splenocytes or Percoll-enriched lymphocytes. These cells were capable of cytotoxic activity for a natural killer cell-sensitive cell line. However, when cultured for several days with IL-2, splenocytes acquired the capacity to inhibit the growth of the fungus. The appearance of the antifungal activity coincided with the development of cytotoxic activity for the natural killer cell-insensitive cell line. Anti-C. albicans and antitumor activities of IL-2-activated lymphocytes were competitively and reciprocally inhibited by C. albicans and the natural killer cell-sensitive and -insensitive cell lines. The antifungal activity of the IL-2-activated lymphocytes was exhibited against a number of clinical isolates of C. albicans and related fungal species. IL-2-activated human peripheral blood lymphocytes also acquired the capacity to inhibit the growth of C. albicans. These data show that in vitro growth inhibition can be mediated by IL-2-stimulated lymphocytes which are neither fungal strain nor mammalian species restricted in their biological activity.