AUTHOR=Bueno Renata A. , Thomaz Luciana , Muñoz Julian E. , da Silva Cássia J. , Nosanchuk Joshua D. , Pinto Márcia R. , Travassos Luiz R. , Taborda Carlos P. 

TITLE=Antibodies Against Glycolipids Enhance Antifungal Activity of Macrophages and Reduce Fungal Burden After Infection with Paracoccidioides brasiliensis

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=7

YEAR=2016

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2016.00074

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2016.00074

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p>Paracoccidioidomycosis is a fungal disease endemic in Latin America. Polyclonal antibodies to acidic glycosphingolipids (GSLs) from <italic>Paracoccidioides brasiliensis</italic> opsonized yeast forms <italic>in vitro</italic> increasing phagocytosis and reduced the fungal burden of infected animals. Antibodies to GSL were active in both prophylactic and therapeutic protocols using a murine intratracheal infection model. Pathological examination of the lungs of animals treated with antibodies to GSL showed well-organized granulomas and minimally damaged parenchyma compared to the untreated control. Murine peritoneal macrophages activated by IFN-γ and incubated with antibodies against acidic GSLs more effectively phagocytosed and killed <italic>P. brasiliensis</italic> yeast cells as well as produced more nitric oxide compared to controls. The present work discloses a novel target of protective antibodies against <italic>P. brasiliensis</italic> adding to other well-studied mediators of the immune response to this fungus.</p>