Chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis - an immunological mystery

Chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis (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 cases, however, are not associated with endocrinopathy and demonstrate a variety of T-cell or antigen-presenting cell defects leading to abnormal cell-mediated responses to C. albicans.