{"title":"Card9 deficiency exacerbates vulvovaginal candidiasis by impairing the IL-17 production and vaginal epithelial barrier.","authors":"Wenjie Liu, Yinggai Song, Ruojun Wang, Zhe Wan, Ruoyu Li, Xiaowen Wang","doi":"10.1093/mmy/myaf026","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is an inflammation caused by Candida albicans with a higher recurrence rate in individuals deficient in Card9. This study aimed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying this increased susceptibility. Estrogen-treated Card9-/- mice infected with C. albicans were used to model Card9 deficiency-related VVC. Our findings indicate that Card9 deficiency leads to a reduction in Th17 cells, interleukin (IL)-17-producing γδ T cells, and IL-17A secretion, weakens epithelial tight junctions, and reduces antimicrobial peptide secretion, leading to persistent fungal invasion. This persistent invasion results in excessive neutrophil recruitment and activation of NOD-, LRR-, and pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) and absent in melanoma 2 inflammasomes (AIM2), causing mucosal damage. In conclusion, Card9 deficiency compromises the vaginal epithelial barrier, prolongs C. albicans infection, and increases inflammation, highlighting the critical role of Card9 in maintaining immune function of vaginal mucosa.</p>","PeriodicalId":18586,"journal":{"name":"Medical mycology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7000,"publicationDate":"2025-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Medical mycology","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1093/mmy/myaf026","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"INFECTIOUS DISEASES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is an inflammation caused by Candida albicans with a higher recurrence rate in individuals deficient in Card9. This study aimed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying this increased susceptibility. Estrogen-treated Card9-/- mice infected with C. albicans were used to model Card9 deficiency-related VVC. Our findings indicate that Card9 deficiency leads to a reduction in Th17 cells, interleukin (IL)-17-producing γδ T cells, and IL-17A secretion, weakens epithelial tight junctions, and reduces antimicrobial peptide secretion, leading to persistent fungal invasion. This persistent invasion results in excessive neutrophil recruitment and activation of NOD-, LRR-, and pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) and absent in melanoma 2 inflammasomes (AIM2), causing mucosal damage. In conclusion, Card9 deficiency compromises the vaginal epithelial barrier, prolongs C. albicans infection, and increases inflammation, highlighting the critical role of Card9 in maintaining immune function of vaginal mucosa.
期刊介绍:
Medical Mycology is a peer-reviewed international journal that focuses on original and innovative basic and applied studies, as well as learned reviews on all aspects of medical, veterinary and environmental mycology as related to disease. The objective is to present the highest quality scientific reports from throughout the world on divergent topics. These topics include the phylogeny of fungal pathogens, epidemiology and public health mycology themes, new approaches in the diagnosis and treatment of mycoses including clinical trials and guidelines, pharmacology and antifungal susceptibilities, changes in taxonomy, description of new or unusual fungi associated with human or animal disease, immunology of fungal infections, vaccinology for prevention of fungal infections, pathogenesis and virulence, and the molecular biology of pathogenic fungi in vitro and in vivo, including genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, and proteomics. Case reports are no longer accepted. In addition, studies of natural products showing inhibitory activity against pathogenic fungi are not accepted without chemical characterization and identification of the compounds responsible for the inhibitory activity.