Inhibitory effects of human neutrophil granules and oxygen radicals on adherence of Candida albicans.

The adherence of Candida albicans to dacron fibre microcolumns was significantly suppressed after interaction with human neutrophils. The adherence-inhibiting properties of neutrophils were shown to reside in their cytoplasmic granules and granular enzymes. Oxygen-derived free radicals produced by the respiratory burst may also be responsible, as shown by experiments in which oxygen radicals were generated by the cell-free hypoxanthine-xanthine oxidase system. Dose-response studies with H2O2 and beta-glucoronidase demonstrated that lower concentrations of these agents inhibited adherence without affecting viability of C. albicans. These results suggest that interference with adherence mechanisms may be an effective means of host defence by neutrophils against the colonisation of mucosal surfaces by C. albicans.