The <i>A. fumigatus</i> Δ<i>uge3</i> mutant induces a hyperinflammatory response in non-neutropenic mice that is attenuated in highly immunocompromised mice.

<p>(A.) Corticosteroid treated mice were infected by inhalation with the indicated strains of <i>A. fumigatus</i> and sacrificed three days after infection. Fungal burden was determined by pulmonary galactomannan content and pulmonary inflammation was measured by determining MPO, and TNF-α content. Pulmonary injury was quantified by measuring LDH release in BAL fluid. MPO, TNF-α, and LDH levels were normalized to the fungal burden of each strain in Panel 1. Results are median ± interquartile range of 8 mice per strain. * indicates a significant decrease in fungal burden or a significant increase in MPO, TNFα or LDH content in lungs of mice infected with the Δ<i>uge3</i> mutant as compared to the lungs of mice infected with the wild-type strain, <i>p</i><0.01 by the Wilcoxon rank sum test. (B) Corticosteroid and cyclophosphamide treated mice were infected by inhalation with the indicated strains, sacrificed and the lungs processed as in (A). MPO, TNF-α, and LDH levels were normalized to the fungal burden of each strain in Panel 1. Results are median ± interquartile range of 9 mice per strain. Note: y-axis values for all graphs are lower than those in (A).