Table 4.
Alterations and characteristics of fungus-induced thymic atrophy.
| Fungus | Reference | Histological and immunophenotype alteration | Molecular characteristic | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paracoccidioides brasiliensis | (101) (102) (103) | 1. Structural disorganization and intense inflammatory infiltration. 2. Enhanced migratory ability of thymocytes. 3. Depletion of all subpopulations. 4. Disorder of selection process. 5. Formation of granuloma in chronic infection. |
a) Invasion into thymus by yeast. b) Increase in IL-2, IL-7, IL-17, TNF-α and AIRE. c) Higher level of inflammatory cytokines, inflammasome activity and gene expression of caspase-1 and caspase-8. d) Mature T cells re-entered infected thymus. |
|
| Aspergillus fumigatus | (104) | Apoptosis of thymocytes. | ||
| Fusarium | (105) | Depletion of each subgroup decreased. | ||
| Saprolegnia | (106) | Atrophy of fish thymus. | ||
| Candida albicans | (107) | Apoptosis of thymocytes. | C. Albicans FLO8-deficient (flo8) mutant enhances the production of IL-10 by dendritic cells and macrophage to attenuate apoptosis of T cells. | |