Effect of Rabbit Immunization with Yeast Antigens on the Activity of the Fraction of Serum Antimicrobial Peptides

Abstract

The aim was to study the effect of rabbit immunization with different yeasts cells on overall antimicrobial serum activity and specific activity of antimicrobial peptides fraction.Material and methods. Rabbits were immunized with cells of Candida albicans, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, Malassezia furfur, Cryptococcus neoformans, Geotrichum candidum, Trichosporon cutaneum and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. AMP fractions were obtained by filtration through 100 kDa filters. Overall activities of sera and their AMP-fractions were estimated spectrophotometrically.Results. Overall serum antimicrobial activity had tendency to decrease after immunization independently from yeast species. Activity of AMP-fractions after immunization with C. albicans, Cr. neoformans, G. candi dum и S. ce revisiae increased, but with other yeasts — decreased. The highest sensitivity to AMP fraction cor res ponded to C. albicans, especially for serum of the rabbit immunized with this yeasts — 1,5-fold higher com pare to control. Serum albumin concentration showed the positive correlation with overall antimicrobial activity against C. albicans (r = 0,760), R. mucilaginosa (r = 0,728), M. furfur (r = 0,723) и T. cutaneum (r = 0,588).Discussion. The results confirm our earlier data. Moreover, they expand current views on the effect of yeasts antigens on activity of serum AMP against different yeasts.Conclusion. Serum albumin and serum AMP demonstrated the specificity toward different yeasts: maximal activity they showed towards specia which more often play opportunistic role.