Murine Intraepithelial Dendritic Cells Interact With Phagocytic Cells During -Induced Inflammation.

People are constantly exposed to airborne fungal spores, including conidia that can cause life-threatening conditions in immunocompromised patients or acute exacerbations in allergics. However, immunocompetent hosts do not exhibit mycoses or systemic inflammation, due to the sufficient but not excessive antifungal immune response that prevent fungal invasion. Intraepithelial dendritic cells (IE-DCs) of the conducting airway mucosa are located in the primary site of the inhalant pathogen entry; these cells can sense conidia and maintain homeostasis.

Infection-Induced Neutrophil Recruitment and Location in the Conducting Airway of Immunocompetent, Neutropenic, and Immunosuppressed Mice.

Susceptibility to fungal infection is commonly associated with impaired neutrophil responses. To study the mechanisms underlying this association, we investigated neutrophil recruitment to the conducting airway wall after conidium inhalation in mouse models of drug-induced immunosuppression and antibody-mediated neutrophil depletion (neutropenia) by performing three-dimensional confocal laser-scanning microscopy of whole-mount primary bronchus specimens. Actin staining enabled visualization of the epithelial and smooth muscle layers that mark the airway wall.