title: Mucosal and systemic immune responses to plasmid protein pgp3 in patients with genital and ocular Chlamydia trachomatis infection.
abstract: The circulating and cervical B cell responses to Chlamydia trachomatis plasmid protein pgp3 were characterized in children and adults with ocular or genital chlamydial infection using the enzyme-linked immunospot assay (ELISPOT) and ELISA. No pgp3-specific ASCs were detected in healthy controls, but predominantly IgA ASCs were detected in UK adults with uncomplicated cervicitis or urethritis (P = 0.03, 0.019). In patients with extragenital complications or pelvic inflammatory disease a mixed response with more IgG and IgM ASCs was evident, suggesting a breach of mucosal immune compartmentalization with more extensive infection. In women with chlamydial cervicitis, ASCs secreting predominantly IgA, but also IgG, to pgp3 were present in cervix at presentation, with a frequency 30-50 times higher than blood. Cervical ASC numbers, especially IgG, fell markedly six weeks after antibiotic treatment. We detected principally IgA pgp3-specific antibody secreting cells (ASCs) in children resident in a Gambian endemic area, with a trend towards suppression of IgA responses during intense trachomatous inflammation (P = 0.06), as previously reported for other chlamydial antigens, and in keeping with the findings in genital disease. These data provide a rationale for further studies of immune responses to pgp3 in humans and animal models of chlamydia-induced disease, and its potential use in diagnostic assays and protective immunization strategies.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, St. George's Hospital Medical School, UK.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ghaem-Maghami
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ratti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ghaem-Maghami
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Comanducci
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Hay
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Bailey
authors.forename: D C W
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Mabey
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Whittle
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.forename: D J M
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Lewis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000921:Antibody-Producing Cells / Q000276:immunology; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018928:Immunity, Mucosal; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008297:Male; D014141:Trachoma / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D014526:Urethritis / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D002575:Uterine Cervicitis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; C082169:pgp3 protein, Chlamydia