Heat-killed Candida albicans stimulates human peripheral blood mononuclear cells to produce IL-12 and IFN-γ partly through Dectin-1

To investigate the role of Dectin-1 in heat-killed Candida albicans-inducing IL-12 and IFN-γ productiong in peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMCs),human PBMCs were firstly pre-incubated with laminarin,a Dectin-1 specific blocker,for one hour and then stimulated with heat-killed Candida albicans for 4 days.In addition,Zymosan,a Dectin-1 activating agent,was used to stimulate PBMC at different dose,and the levels of IL-12 and IFN-γ were measured in the cultural supernatants by ELISA assay.It was demonstrated that laminarin partially decreased the efficiency of heat-killed Candida albicans to induce IL-12 and IFN-γ production in PBMCs.Zymosan could stimulate production of IL-12 and IFN-γ in a dose-dependent manner.From these observations it suggests that the production of IL-12 and IFN-γ in PBMCs by Candida albicans may be partly mediated through Dectin-1.