Faculty Articles

Variations in affinity to Candida albicans in vitro among human buccal epithelial cells

Publication Title

Journal of Medical Microbiology

Publication Date

10-1-1987

Keywords

buccal mucosal cells, candida albicans, cell adhesion, epithelial subpopulations, in vitro assay, mucosal cell size, mucosal cell viability, oral epithelium, yeast adherence, yeast-host interaction, fungal adhesion, cell aggregation, microbial colonization, oral microbiology, host-pathogen interaction

Abstract

Using an in-vitro adherence assay it was observed that the number of Candida albicans cells that attached to individual buccal mucosal cells varied greatly. Three mucosal-cell characteristics--state of aggregation, size and viability--that might influence yeast adhesion in vitro were studied. The number of attached yeast cells per mucosal cell varied from 0 to 32. The majority of buccal cells (88%) had none or very few yeasts attached, whereas a minority of cells (12%) bound more than one half of all the attached yeasts. In donors whose buccal cells had large numbers of attached yeasts this percentage increased and the number of cells with no attached yeast cells fell. Cells of an intermediate size (36-70 micron) had a greater affinity for yeasts than did cells of other sizes. Buccal cell viability appeared not to be necessary for adhesion of yeasts. No significant differences were observed in the number of yeast cells attached to single buccal cells compared with attachment to buccal cells within sheets. It would appear, therefore, that there are distinct subpopulations of epithelial cells with high and low affinity for attachment by C. albicans in vitro. Mucosal cell size or viability might influence this affinity.

DOI

10.1099/00222615-24-2-151

Volume

24

Issue

2

First Page

151

Last Page

155

Disciplines

Medical Specialties | Medicine and Health Sciences | Osteopathic Medicine and Osteopathy

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