[Contribution of neutrophils to Aspergillus infection].

Neutrophil disfunction, caused by a decreased production of effective radical oxygen species by myeloperoxidase (MPO) and NADPH oxidase within the neutrophil, may result in susceptibility to opportunistic fungal infections. In vitro, MPO produces OCl, which kills bacteria and viruses. In the case of MPO deficiency, susceptibility to Candida albicans infection was observed. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that MPO knockout mice were primarily susceptible to C. albicans infection. With regards to NADPH oxidase deficiency, such a patient was found to have severe chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) due to Aspergillus infection. This deficiency may have resulted from a gene mutation and/or abnormality of the NADH oxidase components, particularly cytochrome b558 (gp91phox and p22phox) in membrane and cytosol factors p47phox, p67phox, p40phox and others in neutrophil. Thus,irregular regulation of transcription factors for gene expression of phox molecules and MPO permits susceptibility to Aspergillus and Candida infections.