Vaginal epithelial cell anti-Candida albicans activity is associated with protection against symptomatic vaginal candidiasis.

Vaginal epithelial cell (VEC) anti-Candida albicans activity, despite being measured in vitro, is considered an innate host defense mechanism. This was supported further by the fact that women protected from symptomatic infection following a live intravaginal Candida challenge had increased VEC anti-Candida activity compared to those who acquired a symptomatic infection.

An intravaginal live Candida challenge in humans leads to new hypotheses for the immunopathogenesis of vulvovaginal candidiasis.

Acute and recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) remains a significant problem in women of childbearing age. While clinical studies of women with recurrent VVC (RVVC) and animal models have provided important data about a limited protective role of adaptive immunity, there remains a paucity of information on the protective mechanisms or factors associated with susceptibility to infection. In the present study, an intravaginal live Candida challenge in healthy adult women showed a differential susceptibility to symptomatic VVC, where 3 (15%) of 19 women with no history of VVC acquired a symptomatic infection compared to 6 (55%) of 11 women with an infrequent history of VVC.