Psoriasin, a novel anti- Candida albicans adhesin

Candida albicans belongs to the normal microbial flora on epithelial surfaces of humans. however, under certain, still not fully understood conditions, it can become pathogenic and cause a spectrum of diseases, from local infections to life-threatening septicemia. we investigated a panel of antimicrobial proteins and peptides (amps), potentially involved in mucosal immunity against this pathogen. out of six studied amps, psoriasin was most up-regulated during a mucosal infection, an acute episode of recurrent candida vulvovaginitis, although candidacidal activity has not been demonstrated. we here show that psoriasin binds to β-glucan, a basic component of the c. albicans cell wall, and thereby inhibits adhesion of the pathogen to surfaces and increases il-8 production by mucosal epithelial cells. in conclusion, we show a novel mechanism of action of psoriasin. by inhibiting c. albicans adhesion and by enhancing cytokine production, psoriasin contributes to the immune response against c. albicans.