OBJECTIVES: To investigate the role of Cryptococcus in the immune system of immunocompetent @entity1 with @entity358 ( @entity358 ) by analysing the dynamic changes of @entity1 ' immune status before and after antifungal therapy. METHODS: The level of the serum @entity379 ( @entity379 ) and @entity13236 was measured before and after 6-months of treatment. Peripheral blood samples were obtained from 30 immunocompetent @entity358 @entity1 and 30 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated and incubated with recombinant @entity1 IL-12 (rhIL-12) for 48 h. Then the concentrations of @entity379 and @entity3646 in the supernatant were analysed. RESULTS: Baseline serum @entity379 level was significantly lower in the @entity358 @entity1 as compared with the control group (P < 0.001). The serum @entity1199 and @entity379 of @entity358 @entity1 were significantly increased after appropriate treatments (P < 0.05 and P < 0.001 when compared to their baseline levels). The productions of @entity379 in the culture supernatant of PBMCs showed no significant difference between the control and @entity358 @entity1 both before and after antifungal treatments. RhIL-12 is a potent stimulus for @entity379 production. Culture PBMCs collected from @entity358 @entity1 before treatments had a smaller increase of @entity379 production in the present of rhIL-12 than the control (P < 0.01); PBMCs from @entity358 @entity1 completing 6-months of treatment showed a comparable increase of @entity379 production by rhIL-12 stimulation to the control group. CONCLUSIONS: In apparently immunocompetent @entity1 with @entity358 , a normalization of serum @entity379 was achieved after recovery from infection. This suggests that Cryptococcus infection per se can suppress the immune system and its elimination contributes to the reestablishment of an immune equilibrium.

The Role of Cryptococcus in the Immune System of XXXX @entity1 .

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients', 'human'] @entity13236 :: ('50616', 'Gene') :: ['interleukin (IL)-2, -4, -10 and -12'] @entity358 :: ('MESH:D008171', 'Disease') :: ['PC', 'pulmonary cryptococcosis'] @entity379 :: ('3458', 'Gene') :: ['IFN-y', 'interferon-y'] @entity1199 :: ('3558', 'Gene') :: ['IL-2'] @entity3646 :: ('3565', 'Gene') :: ['IL-4']
@entity358 :: (MESH:D008171,Disease) :: ['Pulmonary Cryptococcosis']
