Antifungal immunity in selected fungal infections.

Abstract

Fungi are omnipresent in the environment; hence they are frequent factors causing infections in humans and animals even if their immune system works correctly. These facts stimulated interest in and the will to understand the antifungal immunity mechanisms. It has been, however, evidenced that the immunological response to mycotic pathogens is related to the species and morphological form of the fungus. Nevertheless, it is assumed that always in the antifungal response, there are mechanisms of innate and adaptive immunity that cooperate with one another to eliminate such pathogens. It has been evidenced that the main elements of antifungal immunity are physical barriers of the organism, phagocytosis, cytotoxicity, and possibly trogocytosis of PMN and MN cells, as well as T-cells, and to a smaller extent B-cells, the proportion of which is principally related to their products activating the processes of PMN and MN cells. An important role in this immunity also belongs to PRR, which activate the main processes of phagocytosis and cytotoxicity of PMN, MN, NK and DC cells.