Abstract: Objective To investigate the change of interle ukin -4(IL-4) in experimental murine systemic candidiasis.Methods In the dexamethasone-induced immuno-suppressed murine systemic can didiasis models and control healthy mice,two-site ELISA and RT-PCR were applied to determine the levels of IL-4 protein or mRNA expression in the spleens respectively.Colony forming units(CFUs) of infected kidneys were determined with the plating dilution method,and the mean survival time (MST) of mice was also recorded.Results The IL-4concentration in the spleen of healthy mice was 80.1±19.1pg/g. In contrast,in those infected with lethal dose of yeasts t he concentrations of IL-4 were 124.8±24.1pg/g and 262.8±21.8pg/g on 3 days or 7 days after infection respectively.Meanwhile,the fungal lo ads in kidneys were(21.25±6.31)×10²CFUs and(57.52±10.41)×10² CFUs on 3 days or 7 days after infection(P<0.001).The IL-4concentrations in the spleens of immuno-suppressed mice infected with s ublethal dose of yeasts were 85.3±18.8pg/g and 140.7±37.2pg/g on 3 day s and 7 days after infection respectively(P<0.05).The tendency of the mRNA expression on 3 days and 7 days was in accordance with the protein level.The MST of the healthy mice infected with lethal dose of yeasts was 16 days and that of the immuno-suppressed mice was 12.4 days.Conclusion IL-4may play a role in the pathogenesis of experimental murine systemic candidiasis.

Key words: Candida albicans, Interleukin-4, Candidiasis,murine