Inhibition of Candida albicans--induced lymphocyte proliferation by lymphocytes and sera from women with recurrent vaginitis.

To investigate whether there was an immunologic basis for recurrent Candida albicans-induced vaginitis, peripheral blood lymphocytes were isolated from six women with this disorder and from six healthy control women. No differences were observed in the proliferative responses of peripheral blood lymphocytes to mitogens. However, only the control peripheral blood lymphocytes proliferated in response to a C. albicans extract. Furthermore, patients' lymphocytes or serum suppressed the proliferative response of control lymphocytes to C. albicans but not to mitogens. Women with recurrent C. albicans vaginitis appear to produce Candida-specific suppressor lymphocytes which block the cellular immune response to this organism.