RT Journal Article SR Electronic(1) A1 Jakab, Ágnes A1 Mogavero, Selene A1 Förster, Toni M. A1 Pekmezovic, Marina A1 Jablonowski, Nadja A1 Dombrádi, Viktor A1 Pócsi, István A1 Hube, BernhardYR 2016 T1 Effects of the glucocorticoid betamethasone on the interaction of Candida albicans with human epithelial cells JF Microbiology, VO 162 IS 12 SP 2116 OP 2125 DO https://doi.org/10.1099/mic.0.000383 PB Microbiology Society, SN 1465-2080, AB The glucocorticoid betamethasone (BM) is frequently employed in clinical practice because of its anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive properties. In this study, we investigated the effect of BM (1 and 2 mM) on the ability of Candida albicans to adhere to, invade and damage oral, intestinal or vaginal epithelial cells, as well as to elicit cytokine and chemokine release. BM at 2 mM concentration stimulated adherence of C. albicans to vaginal cells and facilitated the invasion of intestinal and vaginal epithelia without influencing the growth rate of invading C. albicans hyphae at any type of epithelia and BM concentrations tested. In addition, BM at 2 mM concentration also augmented C. albicans-initiated cell damage of oral and intestinal cells. Furthermore, BM exposure decreased IL-6 cytokine and IL-8 chemokine release from oral and vaginal epithelial cells and also IL-6 release from intestinal epithelium after infection with C. albicans. These observations suggest that high-dose applications of BM may predispose patients to various epithelial C. albicans infections., UL https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/micro/10.1099/mic.0.000383