天然免疫系统与新生隐球菌感染

Progress on the study of innate immune response to Cryptococcus neoformans

天然免疫系统是宿主免疫防御体系中对抗微生物侵染的第一道屏障。天然免疫细胞通过模式识别受体(pattern recognition receptors,PRRs)识别外源微生物及其成分,其中NOD样受体(NOD like receptors,NLRs)是定位于细胞内的一类PRRs。NLRP1、NLRP3和NLRC4等NLRs家族成员可以形成叫做炎症小体的分子复合体,介导炎症因子IL-1β和IL-18的成熟。目前已经确定多种炎症小体参与抗真菌的免疫反应。新生隐球菌是一种重要的条件性致病真菌,该菌主要感染AIDS等免疫缺陷患者,感染死亡率很高。目前,人们对天然免疫系统抗新生隐球菌的机制有了一定的了解。该文将对宿主抗新生隐球菌的天然免疫机制进行总结。

Innate immunity is the first line of the host immune system fighting against invading pathogens.Pattern recognition receptors （PRRs） are responsible for recognition of pathogens and their components.And the nucleotide oligomerization domain （Nod）-like receptors （NLRs） are intracellular PRRs.In recognition of pathogens infection, some NLRs including NLRP3, NLRP1 and NLRC4 form large protein complexes called inflammasomes, which mediate maturation of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-18.Inflammasomes are important in anti-fungal immunity.Cryptococcus neoformans is an opportunistic fungal pathogen, mainly infecting immunocompromised patients and causing high mortality.Here we review recent progresses on host innate immune response against Cryptococcus neoformans.