In Murine Disseminated Candidiasis, Serum Amyloid P Component Inhibits Inflammation and C-Reactive Protein Potentiates Inflammation

and hCRP showed extensive collagen deposition and loss of the boundary between the cortex and the medulla of the kidney. hCRP did not bind to fungi but bound to damaged tissue surrounding abscesses, leading to a more destructive infection with loss of tissue. Staining cells with antibodies to CD45 (to detect T-lymphocytes, myelocytes, monocytes, and macrophages) and antibodies to Ly-6G (neutrophils, and granulocytes) showed that hSAP retarded infiltration of inflammatory cells into diseased areas. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that early administration of hSAP represses the migration of inflammatory cells, dampens the production of collagen by fibroblasts, and dampens the overall immune response of the host to infection. In doing so, hSAP prolonged life, whereas hCRP facilitated the infectious process and hastened death.