FIG 5.

Representative scheme of cytokine profile and antimicrobial molecule production in human PBMCs induced by cryptococcal species. C. bacillisporus and C. deuterogattii induced low levels of the proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6, and C. deuterogattii also induced IL-22. In contrast, C. gattii sensu stricto induced higher levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-10 than those induced by the other species. ROS are important for controlling C. bacillisporus infection in the beginning, but nonkilled C. bacillisporus cells are able to proliferate inside macrophages. Cryptococcus gattii sensu stricto infection control may be mediated by the combination of ROS and proinflammatory cytokine production. Red arrow, inhibition; dark blue arrow, induction.