Monocyte adherence to Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, zymosan-C3b and erythrocyte-hemolysin in patients with paracoccidioidomycosis.

Independent and dependent (C3b/Fc receptors) opsonic adherence ability of monocytes from thirty-three patients with acute or chronic paracoccidioidomycosis and from 13 healthy individuals were studied in the presence of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis (Pb), Paracoccidioides brasiliensis opsonized by patient's serum (PbPS) or normal serum (PbNS), zymosan opsonized by fresh sera from healthy donors (ZyNS) and erythrocytes opsonized by hemolysin (EA). Statistically significant differences concerning the percentage of adhered monocytes to PbPS (number of adhered monocytes/total number of monocytes) were detected between control and chronic (active and inactive) groups. Significant differences in relationship to the mean number of PbPS (number of fungi in monocytes/total number of monocytes) were also observed between control and chronic active mycosis. Present data suggest that patients with chronic disease have more ability in the first step of phagocytic activity, considered as the main effector mechanism to control the dissemination and severity of paracoccidiodomycosis.