Résumé
Eosinophils are innate immune cells with central roles in allergy, parasitic diseases and multiple inflammatory conditions. Moreover, their role in hostpathogen interactions has been well characterized. However, the role of eosinophils during fungal infection is poorly defined. In this study, we delineate the importanceofeosinophilsduringC.albicanssystemicinfections. C. albicans is promptly phagocytosed by human eosinophils, but growing hyphae escape this mechanism by releasing the fungal toxin candidalysin, which causes eosinophil membrane damage and cell death. Concomitantly, eosinophil mediators, notably major basic protein 1 (MBP-1), released during cytolysis, inhibits C. albicans growth and viability. Moreover, systemic candidiasis in genetic (Δdbl/GATA) or anti–IL-5–mediated depletion of eosinophils results in increased fungal burden and decreased survival. We here identified CD48 as a major receptor of eosinophils and possibly of other immune cells involved in the recognition of C. albicans via agglutinin-like sequence 6 (Als6). CD48 is important for protection in a model of systemic candidiasis as shown in CD48−/− mice and it binds clinical isolates of C. albicans.Inconclusion,we have definedaprotective role for eosinophils in vitro and in mouse C.albicans infections through CD48/Als6 host-pathogen interaction axis.