Immunity to Fungi

Cutaneous and superficial fungal infections are normally self-limiting, with recovery associated with a resistance to re-infection. As hosts often develop delayed-type hypersensitivity, this resistance appears to be cell-mediated.

• T cell immunity- it is thought that helper T cells release cytokines to activate macrophages to fight the infection
• Neutrophils- there is now growing evidence for the role of neutrophils in some infections of the respiratory system, with defensin and the nitric oxide pathways implicated