CXCL10, CXCL11, HLA-A and IL-1β are induced in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from women with Chlamydia trachomatis related infertility

• Published in: Pathogens and disease 2016-02, Vol.74 (1), p.ftv099-ftv099
• Main Authors: Menon, Shruti, Alexander, Kimberly, Timms, Peter, Allan, John A., Huston, Wilhelmina M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Blood - immunology; Cells, Cultured; Chlamydia trachomatis - immunology; Cytokines - analysis; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Female; Gene Expression Profiling; HLA-A Antigens - analysis; Humans; Infertility - pathology; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - chemistry; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - immunology; Lymphogranuloma Venereum - complications; Lymphogranuloma Venereum - pathology; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
• ISSN: 2049-632X; 2049-632X
• DOI: 10.1093/femspd/ftv099

Chlamydia trachomatis infections can result in the development of serious sequelae such as pelvic inflammatory disease and tubal infertility. In this study, peripheral blood mononuclear cells from women who were undergoing or had recently undergone IVF treatment were cultured ex vivo with C. trachomatis to identify the immune responses associated with women who had serological evidence of a history of Chlamydia infection. Cytokines secreted into the supernatant from the cultures were measured using ELISA, and the level of IL-1β was found to be significantly higher in Chlamydia positive women than Chlamydia negative women. qRT-PCR analysis of the expression of 88 immune-related genes showed trends towards an upregulation of CXCL10, CXCL11 and HLA-A in Chlamydia positive women compared with Chlamydia negative women. These findings support that some women launch a more marked proinflammatory response upon infection with C. trachomatis and this may be associated with why C. trachomatis induces infertility in some infected women. The mediators that may underlie the development of infertility in some women who have had a chlamydial infection are examined in this manuscript. Graphical Abstract Figure. The mediators that may underlie the development of infertility in some women who have had a chlamydial infection are examined in this manuscript.