Other cells: The role of non-neutrophilic granulocytes, NK and NKT cells in fungal immunology

Abstract

The immune response to fungal infection is diverse and necessitates the participation of both innate and adaptive immunity. Furthermore, fungal infections are closely related to a variety of allergic fungal diseases, primarily in the respiratory tract. This chapter evaluates the role of important innate leukocytes in response to fungal infection and in the immunopathogenesis of allergic fungal disease. We first evaluate the participation of mast cells, basophils and eosinophils (non-neutrophilic granulocytes) in allergic fungal disease of the upper and lower respiratory tracts, in addition the contribution of these cells to host defense against fungal infection is discussed. In the second part of the chapter we evaluate the role of innate lymphocytes, specifically natural killer and natural killer T-lymphocytes and summarize what is understood about the important immunoregulatory and effector functions contributed by these cells during host immune responses fungal infection