Shreya Singh

By Shreya Singh, Rimjhim Kanaujia and Shivaprakash M. Rudramurthy

Aspergillus species are ubiquitous saprophytes and opportunistic pathogens causing wide spectrum of diseases in humans depending on the host immune status. Following pathogen entry, various soluble bronchopulmonary factors enhance conidial clearance. However, due to virulence factors and poor host immune response Aspergillus conidia bind and damage the airway epithelium. The host immune cells like neutrophils and macrophages recognise Aspergillus spp. through various pathogen recognition receptors and form reactive oxygen species which mediate conidial killing. Neutrophils also attack extracellular hyphae by oxidative attack, non-oxidative granule proteins and neutrophil extracellular traps. In case of adaptive immunity, Th1 cells are crucial sources of IFN-γ mediated protective immunity. The Th17 also display a highly pro-inflammatory which is counterbalanced by a Treg cell. B cells and antibodies also enhance fungal clearance although excessive IgE production may result in atopy. The immune responses are influenced by changes in production of short-chain fatty acids by the gut microbiome which primes cells toward Th2 responses, and this is synchronized by the Innate lymphoid cells. This review provides comprehensive knowledge of various virulence factors of Aspergillus, antifungal host defences including innate and humoral immune response and regulation of host immunity by microbiome.

Part of the book: The Genus Aspergillus