Effects of combination of Cryptococcus gattii and IFN-?, IL-4 or IL-27 on human bronchial epithelial cells

Background: Airway epithelial cells are crucial for the establishment of cryptococcosis. In experimental crypto-coccosis, the Th2 immune response is associated with host susceptibility, while Th1 cells are associated with protection. The absence of IL-27 receptor alpha in mice favor the increase Cryptococcus neoformans burden in the lung. Here, we evaluated the effects of the combination of IL-4, IFN-gamma or IL-27 with C. gattii on human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B). Methods: BEAS-2B were stimulated with IL-4, IFN-gamma or IL-27 (100 ng/mL) and/or live yeast forms of C. gattii (multiplicities of infection (MOI) of 1-100) and vice-versa, as well as with heat-killed cells of C. gattii for 24 h. Results: None of the C. gattii MOIs had cytotoxic effects on BEAS-2B when compared to control. The cells stim-ulated by cytokines (IL-4, IFN-gamma or IL-27) followed by live yeast forms of C. gattii (MOI of 100) infection and vice-versa demonstrated a reduction in IL-6, IL-8 and/or CCL2 production and activation of STAT6 (induced by IL-4) and STAT1 (induced by IL-27 or IFN-gamma) when compared to cells stimulated with C. gattii, IL-4, IFN-gamma or IL-27. In the combination of cytokines and heat-killed cells of C. gattii, no inhibition of these inflammatory parameters was observed. The growth of C. gattii was increased while the phagocytosis of live yeast forms of C. gattii in the BEAS-2B were reduced in the presence of IL-4, IFN-gamma or IL-27. Conclusion The association of live yeast forms, but not heat-killed yeast forms, of C. gattii with IL-4, IFN-gamma or IL-27 induced an anti-inflammatory effect.