Abstract: This paper studies tile regulation of cytokines such as human tumor necrosis(Hu-TNF) and recombinant human interferon-γ(rHu-IFN-γγ) on activity of human polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) against Candida albicans by determing numbers of colony-forming unit of Candida albicans. We detected that Hu-TNF and rHu IFN-γγ did not interfere directly with fungal growth. These two cytokines enhanced PMN to inhibit Candida albicans growth. When preincubating PMN with Hu-TNF and rHu-IFN-γγ togather, the activity of PMN against Candidaalbicans was synergically enhanced. The degree of enhancement of the activity of PMN againstCandida albicans was highly dependent on these two cytokines-PMN preincubation time. Thus,Hu-TNF and rHu-IFN-γγ have the ability to activate PMN, and the synergistic action of thetwo cytokines may prove clinically effective for increasing the ability of immuncompromised hosts against opportunistic fungal infectons.

Key words: Tumor necrosis factor, Interferon type Ⅱ, Neutrophils, Candida albicans