Study On The Local Cellular Immunological Pathogenesis Of Vulvovaginal Candidiasis

Vulvovaginal candidiasis(VVC) is an opportunistic vaginal mucosal infection that affects 3 out of 4 women at least once during the reproductive years. The causative agent in 80 to 90% of symptomatic vaginal fungal infections is Candida albicans. While most women experience infrequent episodes of VVC, approximately 5% of otherwise healthy women have recurrent VVC(RWC, defined by 4 or more episodes per year). In women with RVVC, antifungal therapy is very effective but does not prevent recurrence. While several exogenous factors, such as pregnancy, oral contraceptives, uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, and antibiotics, have association with the recurrence of VVC, the immunity factors which contribute to RVVC are largely unclear.A lot of studies have confirmed the role of CMI(cell-mediated immunity) in the fungal infections. T cells, specifically Th1-type CD4+ T cells, represents the dominant host response against mucosal C. albicans infections. So it had been hypothesized that RWC occurs in women as a result of some deficiency in Candida -specific CMI. But some clinical studies told us that RVVC occurs in the presence of normal Th1 -type CMI in the peripheral circulation. On the other hand, in studies using an...