The adhesion of the yeast Candida albicans to epithelial cells of human origin in vitro

Monolayers of HeLa cells were incubated with Candida suspensions and the number of adherent yeasts per unit area of epithelial cells counted microscopically. Adhesion was proportional to the incubation time and the yeast concentration in the suspension. Preincubation of Candida with sucrose facilitated their adhesion, there being a linear enhancement with increasing sucrose concentrations. The sucrose-facilitated adhesion disappeared when the yeasts were killed prior to incubation in a sucrose-containing medium, suggesting that an extracellular metabolic product could be responsible. On comparison of the adhesion of yeasts to viable and non-viable HeLa cells, greater adhesion to non-viable cells was observed. This experimental system can be used to study parameters influencing candidal adhesion to epithelial surfaces.