{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,10]],"date-time":"2026-10-10T06:51:35Z","timestamp":1791615095751,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":127,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,5,25]],"date-time":"2022-05-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1653436800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100004530","name":"Geran Putra Berimpak (GP-GPB) from Universiti Putra Malaysia","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["GP-GPB\/2021\/9702200"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["GP-GPB\/2021\/9702200"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100004530","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Pathogens"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is a prevalent gynaecological disease characterised by vaginal wall inflammation that is caused by Candida species. VVC impacts almost three-quarters of all women throughout their reproductive years. As the vaginal mucosa is the first point of contact with microbes, vaginal epithelial cells are the first line of defence against opportunistic Candida infection by providing a physical barrier and mounting immunological responses. The mechanisms of defence against this infection are displayed through the rapid shedding of epithelial cells, the presence of pattern recognition receptors, and the release of inflammatory cytokines. The bacterial microbiota within the mucosal layer presents another form of defence mechanism within the vagina through acidic pH regulation, the release of antifungal peptides and physiological control against dysbiosis. The significant role of the microbiota in maintaining vaginal health promotes its application as one of the potential treatment modalities against VVC with the hope of alleviating the burden of VVC, especially the recurrent disease. This review discusses and summarises current progress in understanding the role of vaginal mucosa and host immunity upon infection, together with the function of vaginal microbiota in VVC.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/pathogens11060618","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,5,25]],"date-time":"2022-05-25T08:41:33Z","timestamp":1653468093000},"page":"618","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":57,"title":["Role of Vaginal Mucosa, Host Immunity and Microbiota in Vulvovaginal Candidiasis"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"11","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4951-2803","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Subatrra Nair","family":"Balakrishnan","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43300, Selangor, Malaysia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9208-5579","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Haizat","family":"Yamang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43300, Selangor, Malaysia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Michael C.","family":"Lorenz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX 77030, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3862-448X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Shu Yih","family":"Chew","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43300, Selangor, Malaysia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6956-4638","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Leslie Thian Lung","family":"Than","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43300, Selangor, Malaysia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,5,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2034","DOI":"10.3389\/fimmu.2019.02034","article-title":"Immunopathology of recurrent vulvovaginal infections: New aspects and research directions","volume":"10","author":"Kalia","year":"2019","journal-title":"Front. 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