Chronic Mucocutaneous Candidiasis. An Immunological Mystery

Abstract

CMC refers to a group of disorders, which have in common recurrent and persistent infections of the skin, nails and mucous membranes by Candida albicans and occasionally other Candida species. A proportion of these patients show an associated endocrinopathy as part of the autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy (APECED) syndrome. Many of the patients however, are not associated with endocrinopathy and demonstrate a variety of defects of T-cell or antigen presenting cell defects leading to abnormal cell mediated responses to Candida albicans.