Renal CD169⁺⁺resident macrophages are crucial for protection against acute systemic candidiasis

Abstract

Disseminated candidiasis remains as the most common hospital-acquired bloodstream fungal infection with up to 40% mortality rate despite the advancement of medical and hygienic practices. While it is well established that this infection heavily relies on the innate immune response for host survival, much less is known for the protective role elicited by the tissue-resident macrophage (TRM) subsets in the kidney, the prime organ for <i>Candida</i> persistence. Here, we describe a unique CD169⁺⁺ TRM subset that controls <i>Candida</i> growth and inflammation during acute systemic candidiasis. Their absence causes severe fungal-mediated renal pathology. CD169⁺⁺ TRMs, without being actively involved in direct fungal clearance, increase host resistance by promoting IFN-γ release and neutrophil ROS activity.