Pathogenicity of Candida albicans strains with different proteinase activity in the rabbit cornea.

Four strains of Candida albicans with different abilities in secreting proteinase in culture were inoculated into rabbit cornea and the severity of the infection was compared by histopathological examination. Generally, the Proteinase-secreting strains developed more severe and extensive infections in the cornea than the proteinase-deficient ones. Our results on the comparative studies of a proteinase-producing 961S with its variant 961VGR4, which had lost the ability of proteinase secretion, in the corneal tissue invasion suggested that proteinase worked to enhance or continue the corneal infection against the host defence mechanism.